ELIZABETHTOWN — The Lady Eagles saw a huge lead vanish, then rallied in the home half of the seventh inning to take an 11-10 Four County Conference win over visiting Clinton.
Clinton got on the board first with a run in the top of the first inning, but East Bladen responded with a three-run eruption in the bottom of the inning. Abby Cross and Faith Johnson singled, Kaley Smith smacked an RBI double and Johanna Parker followed with a two-run single for a 3-1 lead.
The Lady Eagles extended the lead to 5-1 in the second inning when Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson singled, stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cross. Smith then reached on a fielder’s choice and came home when Parker ripped an RBI double.
In the fourth frame, East Bladen exploded for four more runs to open a 9-1 advantage. Izzy Smith drove in a run with a single and, after Anna Kate White was hit by a pitch, Olivia Hollingsworth crushed a bases-loaded triple.
Kaley Smith, who had been cruising through the first four innings from the circle, got roughed up for eight runs in the fifth inning. The Lady Dark Horses collected eight hits and were aided by three East Bladen errors in knotting up the game at 9-9.
Clinton took a 10-9 lead with an unearned run in the sixth inning, but the Lady Eagles answered.
Moore-Peterson got things started with a single and stolen base, Cross walked and Johnson’s fielder’s choice scored the tying run. After a walk, Parker crushed the game-winning triple.
“Great win for the girls …” said East Bladen coach Patty Evers. “Emily (Scott) was out sick with a virus (and) Abby Cross did an outstanding job behind the plate. The girls really hit the ball good, too.”
Parker led East Bladen’s 13-hit attack, going 3-for-5 with a triple, double and four runs batted in. Hollingsworth had a triple and three RBI, while White had an RBI.