CLINTON – Sophomore Gracey Clark knocked in sophomore Niyah Wooten with the eventual winning run in the top of the 8th inning that lifted East Bladen’s Lady Eagles to a 5-4 non-conference softball victory over Clinton Monday.
Coach Alan West’s Lady Eagles claimed their 1st win of the season and improved to 1-2. East Bladen will host East Columbus at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Clinton, now 3-4, will travel to Union Wednesday.
Wooten reached base on a 1-out error, stole 2nd base and raced home when Clark ripped a single to the left side. East Bladen pitcher Jenna Brice struck out the final Clinton batter in the bottom of the 8th with the tying run at 2nd base.
Brice, a sophomore, struck out 12 batters and allowed 4 runs – 2 earned – on 8 hits and 1 walk. Clinton freshman Alivia Capps pitched a 6-hitter, gave up 5 unearned runs, struck out 6 and walked none.
Wooten, Clark, juniors Mollie Tolar and Gabby Bray and freshmen Jamiee Perkins and Taylor Dowless all connected for 1 hit each for the Lady Eagles. Wooten, Brice, Clark and Bray drove in runs. Tolar scored twice, and junior Martha Simmons, Wooten and Clark scored 1 run each.
A hit batter, singles by Niah Torres and Carmella Carlton and a fielder’s choice produced a Clinton run in the 1st. Consecutive singles by Torres, Carlton and junior Gracin Bass plus a fielder’s choice padded the Lady Dark Horse lead to 2-0 in the 3rd inning.
East Bladen battled back in the 4th inning. Simmons, Tolar and Wooten reached base on errors, and Simmons scored. Brice’s fielder’s choice plated Tolar with the tying run.
In the Lady Eagle 6th inning, Tolar smoked a single to right field that eluded the right fielder for a 3-base error that scored Tolar. Clark bunted and reached base on an error then stole 2nd base. Bray smashed a single to right that scored Clark and boosted the lead to 4-2.
Junior Zannah Royal rapped a lead-off single to center field in the Clinton 7th inning. Sophomore Emery Johnson reached base on an error, and Torres’ fielder’s choice scored Royal. Johnson scored on an error to tie the game 4-4.
Torres and Carlton both batted 2-for-4 to lead the Clinton hitters. Torres scored a run and had an RBI. Johnson, Bass, Da’Niyah Coxum and Royal had 1 hit each and Johnson scored twice.
East Bladen 000 202 01 – 5-6-3
Clinton 101 000 20 – 4-8-6
About Author
