ELIZABETHTOWN – An 11-run, 7th inning proved to be the difference Monday night as West Bladen survived a furious East Bladen rally and outlasted the Lady Eagles 23-13 in non-conference softball action.
East Bladen had sliced a 12-3 Lady Knight lead to 12-9, before the visitors’ 11-run explosion that came after 2 were out. Senior Abigail Madden beat out an infield hit, and sophomore Rylee Chadwick ripped a single to left. An error on the play plated Madden. After a walk to sophomore Madison Taylor, junior Jessalyn Vendrick yanked a single to left that drove in Chadwick.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Junior Hannah Pait and sophomore Mackenzie Singletary reached base on errors as pinch-runners Kaitlyn Brisson and Madison Walters scored. Senior Shelby Pharr slapped a grounder down the 1st base line that eluded the outfielder and cleaned the bases.
Sophomore Kylie Durden and freshman Lena Trinidad drew walks and scooted home when Madden launched a triple to deep centerfield. Chadwick reached on an error that scored Madden, and Taylor’s infield hit plated Chadwick for a 23-9 lead.
Senior Shelby Smith and sophomore Maegan Burney drew walks in the East 7th. Kayleigh Raynor forced Smith at 3rd base, but sophomore Laura Davisson swatted a single to right that scored Burney, and Raynor darted home on an error. Sophomore Emma Turbeville slugged a 2-run home run to leftfield that trimmed the final margin to 23-13.
Madden batted 5-for-6 with a double, a triple, 5 runs scored and 2 runs batted in to lead the West hitters. Chadwick scored 6 runs and drove in 4 runs with a 4-for-5 performance that included a home run and a double. Vendrick turned in a 3-for-4 game with a home run, 3 RBIS and 3 runs scored.
Pharr batted 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Durden was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Pait finished 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored, and Singletary also batted 2-for-5. Taylor had a hit, 2 RBIs and a run scored, and Brisson, Walters, Taylor Lewis and Hailey Guyton scored runs.
Raynor batted 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored to lead East Bladen. Mariah Smith drove in 2 runs with a 2-for-5 night at the plate. Turbeville slammed the 2-run homer and scored 3 times. Sophomore Karli Priest hammered a double, scored 3 runs and drove in two.
Sophomore AnnaGrey Heustess smacked a double and had an RBI and a run scored. Senior Alyssa Futrell knocked in a run with a double. Davisson cracked an RBI single and scored a run. Burney and senior Carlie West added one hit each. Burney scored twice and had an RBI. Dyiamon Robinson scored an East run.
Chadwick pitched a complete game to pick up the win, allowing 13 runs – 8 earned – on 11 hits and 5 walks while striking out 5.
Raynor worked 4 innings in the circle for East and gave up 4 runs – 1 earned – on 5 hits and a walk, while striking out 5. Priest pitched 1.1 innings and allowed 8 runs on 9 hits and a walk while striking out one. Davisson relieved her and gave up 11 runs – only 2 earned – on 7 hits and 3 walks with a strikeout in her 1.2 innings of work.
The Lady Knights grabbed a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning. Madden legged out an infield hit, and Chadwick walked. A throwing error on Taylor’s grounder plated Madden. A Vendrick grounder scored Chadwick, and Pait slapped a single to right that scored Taylor.
Priest led off the Lady Eagle second with a walk, advanced on an error and sprinted home when Heustess clubbed a double to right that trimmed the lead to 3-1.
Chadwick walloped a home run over the left-center field fence to begin the Lady Knight third. West Bladen added 4 runs in the 5th inning. Madden laced a single to left, stole 2nd base and darted home when Chadwick rapped a single to center. A throwing error on the play sent Chadwick to 3rd base, and she scooted home when Taylor laid down a squeeze bunt.
Vendrick crushed a towering home run to left, and Singletary delivered a single to right-center field. Pharr poked a single down the right field line, and Durden drove in courtesy runner Brisson with a single that pushed the lead to 8-1.
Raynor started the Lady Eagle 5th with a single but was forced on Turbeville’s grounder. After a wild pitch, Priest lined a double to left-center field that scored Turbeville. Mariah Smith knocked in Priest with a single to right that whittled the lead to 8-3.
Madden led off the West 6th with a double to right-center field and raced home when Chadwick drilled a double off the left-center field fence. After Vendrick walked, Pait rapped a single to center that scored Chadwick. Vendrick stole home on the back end of a double steal with pinch-runner Lewis, and Lewis scampered home on a passed ball that grew the lead to 12-3.
Futrell and Heustess reached base on errors to begin the East Bladen 6th. West’s fielder’s choice forced Futrell, but Burney smoked a single to center that scored Heustess. Raynor and Turbeville drew walks that forced home Robinson, the pinch-runner for West.
An error on Priest’s grounder plated Burney and Raynor. Smith lined a single to left-center field that scored Turbeville, and Futrell smashed a single to center that scored Priest and sliced the West Bladen lead to 12-9.
Coach Pam Stephens’ Lady Knights improved to 4-1 and will open Three Rivers Conference play Thursday night at Fairmont. East Bladen will travel to Whiteville Wednesday for their TRC opener.
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