BLADENBORO –Freshman Jordyn Christopher pitched a 7-hitter, and her Midway teammates pounded out 14 hits as the Lady Raiders cemented their hold on 1st place in the Southeastern Athletic Conference softball race with a 10-5 victory over West Bladen.
Christopher struck out 8, walked 3 and hit a batter. Sophomore teammate McKenzie Williams batted 3-for-4 with 2 runs batted in and a run scored. Freshman Eva McLamb finished 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Midway junior Lainey Hughes was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and 2 runs scored. Senior Anna Hargrove was 2-for-2 with a run scored. Freshman Karabeth Benton finished 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs.
With 2 out and 2 runners on base in the Midway 1st, Hughes blooped a pop-up behind 2nd base to score a run, and junior Jaycie Byrd blooped a 2-run single into short right for a 3-0 Lady Raider lead.
Junior Kylie Durden and senior Jessalynn Vendrick drew walks to start the Lady Knight first, and junior Madison Taylor reached on an infield hit. Durden darted home on a passed ball, and sophomore Gracie Faircloth sliced a single to right field that scored Vendrick and trimmed the margin to 3-2.
McLamb doubled to begin the Midway 5th inning. Krista McLean reached base on an error, a fielder’s choice plated McLamb and a sacrifice fly scored McLean for a 5-2 lead.
Junior Rylee Chadwick ripped a single to left, and Durden lined a single to center field to start the West Bladen fifth. Taylor laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Chadwick raced home all the way from 2nd base on the play to trim the margin to 5-3.
Hughes dotted the left field line with a double to start the Midway 6th inning. Williams singled, and Hargrove’s infield hit loaded the bases. McLamb drilled a 2-run single, and a bunt hit, a bad-hop single and a hit batter pushed the Lady Raider lead to 10-3.
Sophomore Lena Trinidad smacked a single off the pitcher to begin the Lady Knight 7th. Durden walked, and freshman Marlie Walters smashed a double down the right field line that scored Trinidad. Junior Kaitlynn Brisson raked a single to left that scored Durden and cut the final margin to 10-5.
Durden singled, walked twice and scored twice for the Lady Knights. Walters doubled home a run. Taylor, Brisson, Faircloth, Trinidad and Chadwick connected for 1 hit each. Vendrick, Trinidad and Chadwick scored runs. Brisson and Faircloth had RBIs.
Chadwick started in the circle and pitched 4-plus innings for West allowing 7 runs – 5 earned – on 8 hits while striking out five. Taylor pitched 1-plus innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits while striking out one. Durden finished up pitching 2 scoreless innings giving up 2 hits, a walk, a hit batter and striking out one.
The Lady Knights, now 7-3 in SAC-7 play and 8-11 overall, will return to action on April 26 at Clinton. Midway, now 8-0 in league play, leads the SAC-7 by 2 games over East Bladen.
Midway 300 025 0 -10-14-0
West Bladen 200 010 2 – 5 – 7-1
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