ST PAULS – East Bladen’s Lady Eagles pounded out 12 hits and fought back from a 4-3 deficit to claim a 9-7 Southeastern Athletic Conference softball victory over St. Pauls Friday night.
Coach Chris Davisson’ Lady Eagles have now won 6 games in a row to finish their regular season with an 8-4 league record and 12-10 overall mark and will now await the release of the NCHSAA playoff pairings. St. Pauls is now 5-7 in the SAC-7 and 10-11 overall.
Senior Karli Priest led off the game with a single to left field, and freshman Cabria Baldwin followed with a single. Senior Laura Davisson cracked a single to right, and Priest scored to put East up 1-0.
Sophomore Gabriella Bray smoked a single to center field in the 2nd inning, and sophomore Mollie Tolar drilled a triple to right-center field that scored Bray. Priest blasted a triple to left-center field that brought home Tolar and padded the lead to 3-0.
Sophomore Ke’Mya Baldwin tripled and scored in the St. Pauls 2nd inning, and freshman Angel Purcell slugged an inside-the-park home run to start the Lady Bulldog 3rd inning. Madison Locklear and Ke’Mya Baldwin smacked singles and scored runs as St. Pauls edged ahead 4-3.
Bray reached base on an error, and Tolar swatted a single to right to begin the East 4th inning. Senior AnnaGrey Heustess walked, but Bray was retired on a force-out. Cabria Baldwin’s fielder’s choice plated Tolar, and Davisson walked to force home Heustess. After Priest was forced at the plate, Simmons knocked in Baldwin with a single to centerfield for a 6-4 Lady Eagle lead.
Purcell singled and scored on Ke’Mya Baldwin’s sacrifice fly to whittle the margin to 6-5 in the 5th inning.
Heustess belted a single to right in the Lady Eagle 6th and sprinted home when Davisson’s single to right was misplayed. Wooten walloped a double that scored Davisson, and Simmons smoked a single to right that scored Wooten and stretched the lead to 9-5.
Kristlyn Chavis singled and scored on Mia Washington’s single in the Lady Bulldog 6th, and Purcell was hit by a pitch and raced home on Ke’Mya Baldwin’s triple in the 7th inning. However, Priest struck out the next batter and a ground-out ended the game.
Priest pitched a complete game for the Lady Eagles and allowed 7 runs – 5 earned – on 10 hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out 8.
Davisson turned in a 2-for-3 game at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. Tolar batted 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and 2 runs scored. Simmons finished 2-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBIs. Priest batted 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored.
Wooten slammed a double, and Heustess, Bray and Cabria Baldwin contributed singles to the Lady Eagle attack. Heustess scored twice, and Bray, Wooten and Cabria Baldwin scored runs. Cabria Baldwin and Wooten had RBIs.
Purcell batted 3-for-3 with a home run and 3 runs scored for the Lady Bulldogs. Ke’Mya Baldwin clubbed 2 triples and was 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Mia Washington finished 2-for-3 at the plate for St. Pauls.
East Bladen 120 303 0 — 9-12-2
St Pauls 013 011 1 — 7- 10-3
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