ELIZABETHTOWN –Justyna Gargala fired home four goals on Wednesday to lead East Bladen to a 6-1 non-conference win over Red Springs.
Gargala got her first goal just 7 minutes into the match off a feed from Ashley Hardin.
The Lady Eagles went up 2-0 about 20 minutes later when Cassie Hill scored and, moments later, Gargala ripped her second goal into the net on an assist from Sarah Johnson. Gargala scored again just 3 minutes later, taking a pass from Hardin and putting East Bladen up 4-0.
The Lady Red Devils scored just before halftime off a rebound shot.
In the second half, Johnson scored for the Lady Eagles off a corner kick from Hannah Devane and, just a few minutes later, Gargala got her fourth goal — again off a Hardin pass.
East Bladen is now 4-0 and will host Midway on Friday at 6 p.m. in the Four County Conference opener.
***
Baseball
***
— In Dublin on Wednesday, West Bladen earned its first win of the season, pounding out 12 hits to turn back visiting South Robeson, 9-6, in a non-conference game.
The Knights scored three in the bottom of the first off an RBI triple by Jarrett Williams who scored on a wild pitch, and an RBI single by Logan West.
West Bladen plated two more runs in the second when Williams laced a run-scoring single and an RBI single from Scott Bowen for a 5-0 lead.
South Robeson scored four runs in the top of the third to cut the deficit to 5-4, but the Knights answered with three runs in the home half of the third. T.J. Guyton crushed a two-run triple and Williams lofted a sacrifice fly to up the West lead to 8-4.
The Mustangs added a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to creep within 8-6, but West Bladen got the final run on an error in the sixth inning.
Ian Sykes earned the win on the hill, going five frames and giving up four earned runs on four hits, six walks and four strikeouts. Trey Storms earned the save with two innings of work.
At the plate, Guyton was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs; West was 2-for-3 with an RBI; Williams was 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBI; Weston Pidgeon was 2-for-4 with a double; and Bowen was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Knights, now 1-3, will host Union on Friday night in the Four County Conference opener.
— In Elizabethtown on Wednesday, the Bulldogs of St. Pauls took a 14-8 non-conference win over East Bladen.
***
Softball
***
Kaley Smith earned her first-ever win in the circle for the Lady Eagles on Wednesday and East Bladen got its first win of the season, a 9-7 non-conference verdict over visiting St. Pauls.
The Lady Eagles scored fast, plating four runs in the bottom of the first behind an RBI single by Emily Scott and three walks. But the Lady Bulldogs pulled within 4-3 withe three runs in the top of the second.
Smith roped a two-run single in the home half of the second to put East Bladen up, 6-3. But St. Pauls knotted the game at 6-6 in the third, then used a long triple to take a 7-6 edge in the fourth.
The Lady Eagles used the bottom of the fourth to score three runs behind an RBI fielder’s choice by Scott and two hit by pitches.
Smith twirled a complete-game five-hitter. She walked two and fanned four. At the plate, Smith was 2-for-2.
The Lady Eagles, now 1-1, will host Midway on Friday at 6 p.m. in the Four County Conference opener.
***
Soccer
***
In Dublin on Wednesday, the Lady Knights fell to visiting West Columbus, 6-0, in a non-conference match.