FAIRMONT – A 4-run West Bladen rally in the seventh inning came up a run short as Fairmont escaped with a 10-9 Three Rivers Conference softball victory Wednesday night.
The Lady Knights took a 1-0 first inning lead as sophmore Kyla Reed was hit by a pitch, and sophmore Alara Cashwell ripped a single to left. Senior Abby Dawson laced a single to left-centerfield that scored Reed.
Fairmont answered with 3 runs in the home first on 4 hits highlighted by Kiara Page’s 2-run single.
Freshman Shelby Pharr smacked an infield hit off the pitcher in the Lady Knight second and sprinted home when junior Carley Dawson scorched a single through the middle to slice the margin to 3-2.
A 2-run Fairmont second featured a Mackenzie Johnson triple and a Mya Hunt double as the lead grew to 5-2.
Carley Dawson reached base on an error in the West Bladen fourth and dashed home when Reed smashed a single to left to narrow the gap to 5-3.
Fairmont bunched four more hits together in the home fourth to boost the lead to 8-3. A couple of throwing errors produced another run in the fifth for a 9-3 Fairmont lead.
Carley Dawson hammered a triple to right-centerfield in the Lady Knight sixth inning. Reed reached base on a fielder’s choice, and Cashwell was safe on an error as Carley Dawson scored. Abby Dawson beat out an infield hit as Reed scored to close the margin to 9-5.
Fairmont capitalized on an error for an unearned run in the sixth that upped the count to 10-5.
Sophmore Jordan Benson was hit by a pitch with one out in the Lady Knight seventh and advanced on a wild pitch. Carley Dawson delivered another single to centerfield that drove in Benson.
Reed raked a single to left, and Cashwell drilled a single to left that scored Carley Dawson and Reed. Cashwell scooted home on a wild pitch to whittle the final margin to 10-9.
Carley Dawson batted 3-5 with a triple, 2 runs batted in and 3 runs scored to lead the Lady Knights. Reed finished 2-4 at the plate with a double, an rbi and 3 runs scored. Cashwell batted 2-5 with a double, 3 rbi’s and a run scored.
Abby Dawson was also 2-5 with 2 rbi’s. Pharr added a single and a run scored.
Collins struck out six in her 4 innings on the mound allowing 8 runs – 6 earned – on 10 hits. Pharr pitched the final 2 innings, struck out 2 and allowed 2 unearned runs on a hit and a walk.
Emma McMillan batted 3-4 with a double to lead the Fairmont hitters. Mackenzie Johnson was 2-4 with a triple. Mya Hunt was 2-4 with a double, and winning pitcher Kaylee McMillan batted 2-4.
“We left too many runners on base and waited too long to start our rally,” said West Bladen Coach Pam Stephens. The Lady Knights left 11 runners on base in the game, and were denied another run in the sixth inning when a batter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded but not awarded first base.
West Bladen, now 6-4 in league play and 6-5 overall, will play Purnell Swett Saturday at 10 a.m. in the opening round of the Robeson County Slugfest at Lumberton High.
About Author
