ST PAULS – Sophomore Kayleigh Raynor pitched a 4-hitter and struck out 13 batters to lead East Bladen to a 12-1 Three Rivers Conference softball victory over St. Pauls Monday night.
Raynor led off the game with a double and scored when sophomore Alyssa Futrell lined a single to right field.
The Lady Eagles tacked on 4 more runs in the third inning. Raynor smoked a single to centerfield, and freshman Mariah Smith knocked her in with a double to centerfield. Futrell lined a single to centerfield, and senior Olivia Hollingsworth plated Smith with a sacrifice bunt.
Sophomore Jordan Kinlaw yanked a single past shortstop that scored Futrell. Courtesy runner Alexis Mitchell ran for Kinlaw and raced home when junior Lorna Mendell raked a single to left that scored Mitchell for a 5-0 lead.
Smith rapped a single to centerfield in the East Bladen fourth inning, and Futrell pulled a single to leftfield. Hollingsworth pounded a single to left, and Kinlaw drove in Smith with a single for a 6-0 lead.
A single, a bunt and a fielder’s choice produced the St. Pauls run in the sixth inning.
The Lady Eagles broke the game open with 7 runs in the seventh inning. Hollingsworth walked, and senior Anna Kate White was hit by a pitch. Mendell’s infield hit loaded the bases, and junior Abbie Cross swatted a single to centerfield that scored Hollingsworth and White.
Junior Johanna Parker delivered a single that scored Mendell. Raynor walked, and Smith slugged a double that scored Cross and Parker. Sophmore Carlie West smacked a single past second that plated Raynor and Smith.
Mendell batted a perfect 4-4 with a run batted in and a run scored. Smith finished 4-5 at the plate with 2 doubles, 3 rbi’s and 3 runs scored. Cross batted 3-4 with 2 rbi’s and a run scored. Kinlaw drove in 2 runs with a 2-3 night at the plate.
Raynor batted 2-4 with a double and 3 runs scored. Futrell finished 3-5 at the plate with an rbi and a run scored. Hollingsworth, Parker and West added one hit each. West had 2 rbi’s and Parker had an rbi. Parker, Hollingsworth, Mitchell and White scored one run each.
The Lady Eagles racked up 21 hits in the game. “We played well tonight,” said East Bladen Coach Chase Lancaster. “I am very proud! We just got off the bus ready to play ball. I love the energy.”
Braxtin Kinlaw batted 2-4 to lead St. Pauls.
East Bladen improves to 6-7 in the Three Rivers Conference and 6-9 overall. The Lady Eagles will host East Columbus Wednesday night.
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