FAIRMONT – West Bladen tagged out the potential tying run at the plate to end the game and preserve a 6-5 softball victory over Fairmont Wednesday night in the Three Rivers Conference softball opener for both teams.
Mya Hunt singled to start the Lady Tornado seventh and raced to third base on a one-out error. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, West Bladen pitcher Taylor West struck out the next batter.
Lady Knight Coach Pam Stephens moved junior Alara Cashwell to catcher, and Hunt tried to steal home on the throw back to the pitcher. West caught the throw and fired the ball back to Cashwell who tagged out Hunt to end the game.
With Fairmont leading 2-0, the Lady Knights rallied with a fourth-inning run. Junior Tatiana Hunt raked a single to left, stole second base and raced home on sophmore Alyssa Suggs’ sacrifice bunt.
West Bladen took a 4-2 lead with a 3-run fifth inning. Senior Conner Brisson laced a single to centerfield, and junior Kyla Reed was hit by a pitch. Cashwell hammered a double to centerfield that drove in Brisson and Reed.
Hunt smacked a single to centerfield, but Cashwell was tagged out at the plate. However Suggs cracked a single to right-centerfield that scored Hunt.
Fairmont capitalized on 4 hits to score 3 runs in the home fifth and edge in front 5-4.
Reed was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the seventh. Cashwell reached base on an error, and Suggs smashed a triple into the rightfield corner that scored Reed and Cashwell and vaulted West Bladen in front 6-5.
Suggs batted 2-3 with a triple and 4 runs batted in to lead the Lady Knight hitters. Hunt finished 2-3 at the plate with 2 runs scored. Cashwell batted 2-4 with a double, 2 rbi’s and a run scored.
Freshman Hannah Pait blasted a double, and Brisson singled and scored a run. Reed scored twice.
Sophmore Shelby Pharr started and pitched 4-plus innings for the Lady Knights. Cashwell relieved and got all 3 outs in the fifth, Brisson pitched a scoreless sixth inning, and West came on to pitch the scoreless seventh.
The Lady Knights will travel to Red Springs Friday night.