BLADENBORO – Hoke County scored 5 runs in the 5th inning to open up a 10-3 lead en route to a 12-4 non-conference softball victory over West Bladen Thursday night.
The Lady Bucks bunched 3 walks and 2 hits in the decisive 5th inning. Winning pitcher Kalea Parker slammed a 2-run double to tack on 2 more Hoke runs in the 6th inning.
Natalie Williams started in the circle for Hoke and pitched 3.1 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk while striking out 4. Parker relieved and worked 3.2 innings giving up an unearned run on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out seven.
Sophomore Gracie Faircloth started in the circle for West and pitched 3 innings allowing 5 runs on 7 hits while striking out one. Junior Madison Taylor relieved and worked 3.2 innings allowing 3 runs on 2 hits. Junior Kylie Durden pitched 0.1 innings and gave up 4 runs on 3 walks and a hit.
Senior Jessalyn Vendrick finished a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with a pair of walks and an RBI for the Lady Knights.. Taylor batted 2-for-3 with a run batted in. Junior Kaitlynn Brisson cracked an RBI single and scored a run. Faircloth and junior Mackenzie Singletary belted singles, and junior Rylee Chadwick and senior Olivia Allen scored runs.
Alaina Goins batted 2-for-5, had 2 RBIs and scored 3 runs for Hoke. Aliya Mack was 2-for-4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored.
Hoke turned 5 hits into 4 runs in the 1st inning and added an unearned run on 2 errors in the 2nd inning to build a 5-0 lead.
Taylor smacked a single to center field in the 4th inning, and Vendrick yanked a single to left. Brisson knocked in Chadwick, the courtesy runner for Taylor, with a single to left. Faircloth laced a single to right, and Vendrick scored. Brisson darted home on a passed ball to slice the Hoke lead to 5-3.
Singletary reached base on an error in the West 7th inning. Her courtesy runner, Allen, advanced on a passed ball and raced home when Vendrick swatted a single to right field.
The Lady Knights, now 2-5, will host East Bladen Friday at 6 p.m.
Hoke County 410 052 0 -12-10 -2
West Bladen 000 300 1 – 4 –7 – 4
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