DUBLIN – Sophomore Carley Dawson walloped a 2-run, walk-off double in the seventh inning that lifted West Bladen to a 7-6 victory over Wallace-Rose Hill and into first-place in the Four County Conference Softball Standings.
Coach Joey Autry’s Lady Knights improved to 10-1 in the league and 15-3 overall. Second-place Wallace-Rose Hill dropped to 8-2 in league play.
The Lady Bulldogs took a 6-5 lead into the home seventh, but senior Logan Autry ignited the West Bladen rally with a single to rightfield. Autry was running on a 3-2 pitch to senior Alanna Ludlum, and the Wallace catcher threw ball-four into centerfield allowing Autry to race to third base and Ludlum to take second.
One out later Carley Dawson hammered the double into the right-centerfield gap to drive in Autry and Ludlum with the tying and winning runs.
The Lady Bulldogs took an early lead in the second inning. Senior Audrey Murray walked, stole second and went to third when the throw went into centerfield. Catcher Ella Smith drove her in with a single.
West Bladen senior Laikyn Pait crushed a home run into the wind and over the leftfield fence in the bottom of the second to tie the game 1-1.
Murray started a Wallace-Rose Hill rally with a fourth-inning single, and freshman Aleaah Graham reached base on an error. Smith slapped a single to right to load the bases, and freshman Angel Pearsall dumped a bloop single just over second to score Murray.
Haven Williams rapped a single to centerfield that scored Graham, and a Lady Knight error scored two more Lady Bulldog runs for a 5-1 lead.
Sophmore Conner Brisson walked and stole second base to begin the Lady Knight fifth inning. Freshman Kyla Reed blasted a double over the leftfielder’s head that scored Brisson. Reed stole third base and darted home when the throw sailed into leftfield.
Senior Kassidy Anderson ripped a single to centerfield and moved up on Autry’s sacrifice bunt. Ludlum raked a single through the left side that scored Anderson. When the ball was misplayed by the leftfielder Ludlum sprinted to second base and a wild throw from the outfield eluded the Lady Bulldog infield and allowed Ludlum to circle the bases and tie the game 5-5.
West Bladen loaded the bases in the sixth inning with one out on 2 walks and senior Sophia Singletary’s bunt single, but a strike-out and a line-out ended the inning.
With one out in the visitors seventh, Sara Darling’s towering pop-up blew back toward the plate and dropped for an infield double. Murray delivered a single to centerfield that scored Darling and put the Lady Bulldogs ahead 6-5.
“We had a couple of rough innings defensively,” said Coach Autry. “But the girls handled the adversity well. They are really growing into being really good teammates.”
Singletary went the distance in the circle for the Lady Knights and allowed 11 hits but only 2 of the 6 Wallace-Rose Hill runs were earned.
Ludlum batted 2-3 with a run batted in and 2 runs scored. Carley Dawson ripped the 2-run double. Pait slugged the solo home run, and Reed smashed an rbi double and scored a run.
Anderson, Autry and Singletary added one hit each. Anderson, Autry and Brisson scored runs.
“We kept pressure on them the entire game with our speed and base-running,” said Coach Autry.
Senior Haley Rivenbark went the distance in the circle for Wallace-Rose Hill and struck out 7 batters, while walking four and hitting a batter.
Murray batted 2-3 with an rbi and 2 runs scored, while Smith was 2-3 with an rbi and a run scored. Darling and Williams both finished 2-4 at the plate.
West Bladen will travel to Village Christian Friday for a non-conference game at 6:30.
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