East Bladen’s Lady Eagles took the lead with a 2-run fifth inning and clinched the No. 1 Class 2-A Play-off berth from the Four County Conference with a 5-3 victory over Wallace-Rose Hill on Senior Night at East Tuesday.
“It’s a great feeling to come from where we started two years ago,” said East Bladen Coach Patty Evers. “These girls have played together for a long time. They do great things and they work hard. They deserve it.”
With the Lady Bulldogs leading 3-2 in the fifth, junior speedster Lacey Suggs lofted a shallow fly ball down the left-field line that the Wallace left-fielder barely got a glove on, allowing Suggs to scoot all the way to third base.
Junior Abby Ward poked a hit in front of the left-fielder that scored Suggs with the tying run, and Ward darted down to second base as the ball kicked away from the fielder. Senior Lexi Dawson ripped a single to center-field that drove in Ward with the go-ahead run.
Ward manufactured an insurance run in the sixth with a walk and a pair of stolen bases. Ward scampered home when the throw to third base on her steal attempt sailed into left-field.
Junior Miller Heustess went the distance in the circle for East Bladen and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, while striking out four.
Wallace-Rose Hill grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Chelsea Horning led off with a single, and Reagan Page knocked her in with a double. Page eventually scored the second run.
The Lady Eagles pulled even in the bottom of the inning as Suggs smacked a single and stole second and third base. Ward belted a single to drive in Suggs, and Dawson drew a walk. Senior Anna Brewer’s fielder’s choice plated Ward with the tying run.
Wallace retook the lead in the top of the fifth, when sophomore Haley Rivenbark lined a triple just over the glove of the left-fielder and scored on Sara Darling’s sacrifice fly.
Suggs finished 2-3 at the plate with 2 runs scored. Ward also batted 2-3 with 3 runs scored and 2 runs batted in. Dawson cracked a run-scoring scoring single, and Brewer had an rbi.
Sophomore Emily Scott and senior Abbey Norris connected for one hit each for the winners.
East Bladen improves to 10-3 in the league and 14-4 overall. The Lady Eagles will travel to West Bladen Friday for their final regular-season game at 6 p.m.
Seniors Abbey Norris, Lexi Dawson and Anna Brewer were honored in pre-game ceremonies before their final regular-season home game.
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