FAIRMONT – Seniors Laura Davisson and Karli Priest teamed up to scatter 9 hits and strike out 11 batters as they led East Bladen to a 9-4 Southeastern Athletic Conference softball victory over Fairmont Wednesday night.
Davisson pitched the 1st 5 innings and allowed 1 run on 7 hits while striking out 9. Priest worked the final 2 innings and allowed 3 runs -1 earned – on 2 hits, 2 hit batters and 2 errors.
Simmons belted a 1-out single to right-center field to start the Lady Eagle 2nd inning, stole 2nd base and advanced on Gabriella Bray’s infield hit. Sophomore Mollie Tolar laced a single to left-centerfield that scored Simmons. Priest drilled a single to center field that brought home Bray and Tolar and stretched the East lead to 3-0.
Davisson led off the Lady Eagle 3rd inning with a single to right-center field and scored when freshman Niyah Wooten scorched a single to center field. Simmons smashed a single to right-center field that scored Wooten. Bray reached base on an error that scored Simmons and pushed the lead to 6-0.
Priest reached base on an error to start the Lady Eagle 4th inning and scored on Davisson’s fielder’s choice to up the count to 7-0.
Three straight hits and an error produced a Fairmont run in the 5th inning, but Davisson stranded 3 runners on base with a pair of strike-outs to end the inning. Two errors, a hit batter and a fielder’s choice plated a pair of unearned Lady Tornado runs in the 6th inning that narrowed the lead to 7-3.
Wooten walloped a triple to start the Lady Eagle 7th and scored on Simmons’ infield hit. Simmons stole a base and dashed home when Tolar smacked a single to center field to push the lead to 9-3.
A bunt single, a fielder’s choice and Jaylee Freeman’s single produced a Fairmont run in the home 7th.
Wooten finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple, an RBI and 2 runs scored to lead the Lady Eagle hitters. Simmons also finished 3-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Tolar was 2-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBIs and a run scored.
Priest batted 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a run scored. Bray finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. Davisson and freshman Cabria Baldwin connected for 1 hit each. Davisson scored a run and drove in a run.
Kimberleigh Stevens batted 2-for-4 and scored a run for Fairmont. Madalyn Godwin was also 2-for-4, and Haliegh Jackson doubled.
Coach Chris Davisson’s Lady Eagles evened their conference record at 4-4 and improved to 8-10 overall. East Bladen will travel to Red Springs Tuesday night.
East Bladen 033 100 2 — 9-14-4
Fairmont 000 012 1 — 4- 9-2
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