West Bladen’s Lady Knights, the Four County Conference champions, will entertain Washington, the Eastern Plains Conference runners-up, Friday at 7 p.m. in the second round of the NCHSAA Class 2A softball play-offs.
Coach Joey Autry’s Lady Knights rallied late to post a 5-2 victory over Farmville Central Wednesday night in their play-off opener. Two-run doubles by seniors Laikyn Pait and Sophia Singletary keyed a 4-run sixth-inning that overcame a 2-1 Farmville lead. Sophmore Carley Dawson walloped a solo home run for the first West Bladen run.
Coach Doug Whitehead’s Lady Pam Pack exploded for 7 first-inning runs and rolled to a 10-4 victory over Midway in their first round play-off game. Freshman pitcher Abbigail Tucker pitched a 5-hitter and slugged a home run for Washington.
Senior Meghan Moore batted 3-4 and drove in 3 runs, senior Meghan Horton was 3-4 with 2 rbi’s and senior Jordan Pierce and Sarah Lynch also batted 3-4 with an rbi each.
Tucker raised her record to 9-2 and has a 1.58 Earned Run Average with the victory. Tucker has struck out 121 batters in 79.2 innings. Senior Hailey Harris has a 7-3 record with a 3.55 ERA and has struck out 75 batters in 49.1 innings.
Harris leads the Pam Pack with a .641 batting average, 30 runs batted in and 29 runs scored. Senior Jordan Pierce sports a .508 average with 21 rbi’s. Junior Mary B. Dixon (.500 average), Horton (.421), Moore (.413), Lynch (.381), Tucker (.345) and Chaleigh Baynor (.310) are other leaders for a Washington offense that averages 9 runs a game.
Sophmore Conner Brisson leads the Knight hitters (.525 average). Sophmore Carley Dawson is batting .508 and leads the team in RBI’s (30) and runs scored (35). Senior Laney Autry has scored 23 runs and has a .400 batting average.
Senior Laikyn Pait has slugged 3 home runs and is batting .400. Senior Alanna Ludlum has walloped 3 homers and has a .373 average and 27 rbi’s. Senior Kassidy Anderson has scored 26 runs and is batting .385.
Other leaders include freshman Kyla Reed (.382 average), senior Sophia Singletary (.364 average) and senior Jenna Dove (.319 average).
Singletary has posted a 15-3 record with a 1.35 ERA in the circle.
Washington split with Eastern Plains champion North Johnston during the regular season. North Johnston eliminated West Bladen in the second round of last season’s play-offs.
West Bladen swept Midway, Washington’s first round opponent, by scores of 12-2 and 7-6 this season.
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