FAIRMONT – East Bladen built leads of 10-0, 12-2 and 15-6 then survived a furious Fairmont rally in the final 2 innings to claim a 15-13 Southeastern Athletic Conference softball victory over the Lady Tornadoes Tuesday night.
Junior Laura Davisson batted 4-for-5 with 4 runs scored to lead the East Bladen hitters. Junior Emma Turbeville slammed a double and finished 2-for-4 with 4 runs scored and 3 runs batted in. Junior Karli Priest hammered a double and was 2-for-5 with 3 runs scored and an RBI.
Freshman Gabriella Bray batted 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored. Freshman Mollie Tolar and junior Maegan Burney added 1 hit each. Tolar drove in 2 runs, and Burney and senior Mariah Smith had 1 RBI each. Burney and Smith scored 1 run each.
Priest reached on an error, Davisson smacked a single to left-center, and Turbeville walked in the Lady Eagle 1st inning. Smith reached base on an error as Priest and Davisson scored. Tolar’s fielder’s choice plated Turbeville, and Burney belted a single to right field. An error on Burney’s hit brought in Smith and Burney for a 5-0 East lead.
Bray beat out an infield hit to begin the Lady Eagle second, and Priest knocked in Bray with a double to left-center. Davisson and Turbeville cracked singles as Priest scored, and Smith’s fielder’s choice plated Davisson. Tolar spanked a single to right that brought home Turbeville and pushed the lead to 9-0.
In the 3rd inning, Bray swatted a single to left-center field and came around to score the run that grew the Lady Eagle lead to 10-0. A pair of infield hits, and Santana Anderson’s single produced a pair of Fairmont runs in the home third.
Davisson led off the East Bladen 4th with an infield hit, and Turbeville pounded a double. An error on the play allowed both Davisson and Turbeville to score and stretch the lead to 12-2.
A walk, 3 hit batters and 2 Lady Eagle errors resulted in 4 Fairmont runs in the home 4th that trimmed the margin to 12-6.
Priest and Davisson started the East Bladen 6th inning with singles, and Turbeville and Smith drew walks. Priest, Davisson and Turbeville all scored to widen the gap to 15-6.
The Golden Tornadoes connected for 8 hits and scored 7 runs in the final 2 innings to whittle the lead to 15-13. Anderson slugged a 2-run triple then scored on Lindsay Floyd’s single, before a ground out ended the game.
Anderson finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Floyd and Alexis Hinson both batted 3-for-5, and Lakayla Chavis was 2-4.
Davisson started in the circle for East Bladen and pitched 3.1 innings allowing 5 runs on 4 hits, 3 hit batters and a walk while striking out five. Priest relieved and pitched 3.2 innings allowing 8 runs on 8 hits, 2 hit batters and a walk while striking out two.
Coach Chris Davisson’s Lady Eagles improved to 2-1 in SAC-7 play and 4-5 overall and will host Fairmont in a return match Friday at 6 p.m.
East Bladen 541 203 0 -15-12-2
Fairmont 002 404 3 -13-12-5
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