Members of the Bladen County 12-and-Under softball team are: Front Row (Left-Right): Emmee Ward, Mary Frances Sutton, Martha Simmons, Lena Trinidad, Megan Pait, Marlie Walters, Brookee Singletary, Reagan Moore, Molly Pait, Karly Ross, Violet Allen, Marlene Crabtree.
Back Row (L-R): Coaches Jamie Singletary, Mackie Singletary, Heather Pait.
HOLLY SPRINGS – Bladen County won the StateWide Activities Committee 12-and-Under Softball Sectional Tournament on Sunday by sweeping both championship games 20-8 and 9-8 over Wake Forest.
The Bladen All-Stars returned the favor on Wake Forest, which had rode an 11-run fourth-inning to a 19-9 victory over Bladen on Saturday. Sunday, Bladen County rallied with a 14-run fifth inning to claim the first game victory, then rallied late again to pull out the second game.
Bladen County advances to next weekend’s SWAC 12U State Tournament as the No. 1 seed from the East.
First Game
Wake Forest took an 8-6 lead into the fifth inning, but Emmee Ward and Karley Ross reached base on errors, and Violet Allen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lena Trinidad walked to force home Ward, before Megan Pait hammered a bases-clearing double that scored Ross, Allen and Trinidad and put Bladen on top 10-8.
Marlie Walters walked, and Molly Pait reached base on an error that scored Megan Pait. Walters was retired on Martha Simmons’ fielder’s choice. Brookee Singletary reached base on a fielder’s choice, and Ward walked to force home Molly Pait.
Ross bunted into a fielder’s choice that scored Simmons, and Allen and Trinidad drew walks that scored Singletary and Ward. Megan Pait was hit by a pitch that forced home Ross. Walters and Molly Pait drew walks that scored Allen and Trinidad.
Simmons’ fielder’s choice plated Megan Pait, and an error on Singletary’s fly ball scored Walters with the 14th run of the inning and put Bladen ahead 20-8.
Trinidad pitched the first two innings for Bladen County and allowed seven unearned runs on eight walks and one hit while striking out one. Ward picked up the win with three innings of one-hit relief allowing one unearned run. Ward walked none and struck out three.
After Wake Forest scored six runs in the first inning, Bladen County answered with six runs in the second inning. Reagan Moore led off with a walk, and Ward and Mary Frances Sutton smacked singles to load the bases. Trinidad and Walters both walked to force home Moore and Ward.
Sutton stole home, and Molly Pait drilled a double to left that scored Allen and Walters. Simmons smashed a single to center field that scored Molly Pait to tie the game 6-6.
Wake Forest retook the lead with single runs in the second and third innings.
Ward batted 2-for-4 with a run batted in and three runs scored for the winners. Megan Pait doubled, drove in four runs and scored twice. Molly Pait doubled, drove in four runs and scored twice. Sutton and Simmons added one hit each.
Trinidad drove in three runs, and Simmons and Walters drove in two runs each. Allen and Ross had one RBI each. Allen scored three runs, and Trinidad, Walters and Ross scored two runs each. Sutton, Moore, Simmons and Singletary scored one run each.
Second Game
A pair of fourth inning runs put Bladen County ahead to stay in the championship game. Violet Allen walked, and Lena Trinidad was hit by a pitch to begin the Bladen fourth. Both runners advanced on Megan Pait’s ground ball. Marlie Walters smoked a grounder off the third baseman that scored Allen with the tying run, and Trinidad stole home to put Bladen on top 8-7.
Brookee Singletary slammed a single to left field to begin the Bladen fifth inning and raced all the way to third base on the throw back to the infield. Emmee Ward walked, and Violet Allen’s ground ball scored Singletary for a 9-7 Bladen lead.
Wake Forest scored a run in the top of the sixth and had the tying run at third base when Ward struck out the final batter to preserve the victory.
Ward pitched a complete-game six-hitter and struck out eight. She allowed eight runs- one earned – and walked only one batter.
After Wake Forest scored 4 runs in the top of the first, Bladen answered with two in the bottom half. Allen walked, stole second, advanced on a wild pitch then stole home. Megan Pait walked, and Marlie Walters raked a single to left field. Molly Pait walked, and Megan Pait dashed home on an error.
Wake Forest padded their lead to 6-2 in the third inning, but Bladen rallied with four runs in the home third. Trinidad walked, and Megan Pait laced a single to center field. Walters reached base on an error that scored Trinidad.
Molly Pait’s ground ball plated Megan Pait, and Martha Simmons knocked in Walters with a single to center field. Simmons stole second and third base and scooted home on Singletary’s grounder to shortstop to tie the game 6-6.
Wake Forest retook the lead a final time at 7-6 with a run in the fourth.
Walters, Simmons, Megan Pait and Singletary connected for one hit each for the champions. Walters drove in two runs, and Allen, Molly Pait, Simmons and Singletary drove in one run each. Allen, Trinidad and Megan Pait scored two runs each. Singletary, Simmons and Walters scored one run each.
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