SHALLOTTE — Sophomores Niyah Wooten and Jenna Brice combined to pitch a no-hitter and strike out 8 batters as they led East Bladen to a 9-4 victory over Walkertown in the opening round of the Touchstone Beach Diamond Softball Invitational Tournament at West Brunswick High School.
Coach Alan West’s Lady Eagles improved to 3-5 and will battle Cherryville (9-1) – a 22-8 winner Monday over host West Brunswick – at 12 noon Tuesday.
Wooten started in the circle and pitched 5 innings allowing 4 runs – 1 earned – on 6 walks and 3 errors while striking out 4. Brice relieved in the 6th and pitched 2 scoreless innings while striking out 4 and walking none.
Junior Martha Simmons scorched a single to right to start the game, advanced on an error and junior Mollie Tolar’s sacrifice bunt then scooted home on Wooten’s fielder’s choice for a 1-0 Lady Eagle lead.
Senior Trinity Stressman was hit by a pitch in the Lady Wolfpack 1st, Savannah Miller walked, and Stressman came around to score on a passed ball and an infield out to tie the game 1-1.
Freshman Tatum Allen drew a 1-out walk in the East 2nd inning, and freshman Jamiee Perkins blasted a triple to right field that scored Allen. Sophomore Cabria Baldwin’s fielder’s choice plated Perkins and pushed the Lady Eagle lead to 3-1.
Perkins started the East 4th inning with a single to the left side. Baldwin laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached on an error that sent Perkins to 3rd base. Baldwin stole 2nd base and advanced on a passed ball that scored Perkins. Freshman Taylor Dowless walked but was caught stealing. However Baldwin stole home on the back end of the play to push the lead to 5-1.
Sophomore Gracey Clark and Allen drew walks to start the Lady Eagle 5th inning. Perkins dropped down a sacrifice bunt and reached base on an error by the pitcher that scored Clark for a 6-1 East lead.
Simmons and Tolar raked singles to left to begin the East 6th inning. Wooten pounded a double to left that scored Simmons. Brice’s fielder’s choice plated Tolar, and Clark drilled a single to right that scored Wooten for a 9-1 Lady Eagle lead.
Two walks, 2 errors and a passed 3rd strike produced a trio of Walktertown runs in the 6th inning and trimmed the final margin to 9-4.
Simmons batted 3-for-5 and scored 2 runs to spark the Lady Eagle attack. Perkins finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a triple, a run batted in and 2 runs scored. Clark batted 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Wooten doubled and had 2 RBIs and a run scored. Tolar singled and scored a run. Brice and Baldwin drove in 1 run each. Allen and Baldwin scored 1 run each.
Freshman Desiree Davis pitched 6 innings for Walkertown and allowed 9 runs – 5 earned – on 9 hits and 5 walks.
East Bladen 120 213 0 — 9-9-4
Walkertown 100 003 0 — 4-0-8
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