ELIZABETHTOWN — The Lady Eagles kept things close for five innings on Monday, but visiting Pender County erupted for nine runs in the sixth inning and rode it to a 17-5 Four County Conference win.
The loss drops East Bladen to 5-10 overall, 3-9 in the conference.
The Lady Patriots plated a trio of runs in the first inning and East Bladen responded with a run in the home half when Izzy Smith ripped a triple and came home on an RBI single by Anna Kate White.
Pender County got the run back in the top of the third, but the Lady Eagles fought back with two runs in the bottom of the inning when Faith Johnson singled and Kaley Smith blasted a two-run home run to cut the deficit to 4-3.
The Lady Patriots took a 6-3 edge in the fourth, but East Bladen scored a run in the inning when Majesti Corbett singled, stole second, went to third on a groundout and came home on Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson’s RBI single.
Pender County extended the lead to 8-4 with a pair of runs in the fifth and, after the Lady Eagles went quietly in the home half, sent 13 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth and scored nine runs to open a 17-4 lead.
East Bladen scored a run in the bottom of the sixth when Abby Cross singled, stole second, went to third on a groudout and scored on a single by White.
White led East Bladen’s 11-hit attack, going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Moore-Peterson was also 2-for-3 with an RBI; Johnson was 2-for-3; Kaley Smith belted the two-run home run; Izzy Smith had a triple.
The Lady Eagles travel to Union for a conference game Tuesday at 6 p.m.