ELIZABETHTOWN — A four-run rally in their last at-bats earned East Bladen a 16-14 non-conference win over visiting South Brunswick on Wednesday.
The Lady Cougars opened the game with three runs, only to see East Bladen knot the game in the bottom of the first on an RBI fielder’s choice by Alyssa Futrell, sacrifice fly by Faith Johnson and an error.
After South Brunswick scored a run in the second to regain the lead, the Lady Eagles scored three times in the third on a double by Johnson, a two-run double by Olivia Hollingsworth and an error.
The visitors cut the margin to 6-5 in the fourth, but East Bladen got that run back in the home half on an RBI single by Kaley Smith for a 7-5 edge.
East Bladen tacked on five runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run single from Smith, for a 12-7 advantage. But the Lady Cougars answered with four runs in the sixth and another five in the seventh to take a 14-12 edge.
The Lady Eagles’ comeback in the home half of the seventh featured an RBI single by Erica McKoy and a bases-clearing double by Smith.
“I am so proud of the way we kept fighting and fighting until we could pull it out,” said East Bladen coach Chase Lancaster.
Smith led East Bladen’s 14-hit attack at the plate, going 4-for-5 with six RBI; Kayleigh Raynor was 2-for-4 with two RBI; Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson was 2-for-4; Johnson was 2-for-4 with a double; McKoy was 2-for-5 with an RBI; and Hollingsworth had two RBI.
— In Dublin on Wednesday, visiting Whiteville used the long ball to help knock off West Bladen 16-3 in a Three Rivers Conference game.
The Lady Wolfpack blasted three home runs in the win — scoring two runs in the first,, two more in the third, six runs in the fourth and six more in the fifth to earn the win.
The Lady Knights scored a run in the third on a Whiteville error, a run in the fourth behind Madison Collins’ double and RBI fielder’s choice by Jordan Benson, and got a solo home run by Kyla Reed in the fifth.
“The score doesn’t reflect some of the good things we did,” said West Bladen coach Pam Stephens. “Whiteville is a very good team and one of the very best teams in the state.”
Reed capped West Bladen’s four-hit evening by going 2-for-3 with the home run and two RBI.
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Baseball
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— In Dublin on Wednesday, the Knights could manage just two hits and a single run en route to a 14-1 Three Rivers Conference loss to Whiteville.
West Bladen’s run came in the first when Scott Bowen singled and three straight walks forced him home.
The Wolfpack used 13 hits to earn the win.
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Tennis
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— In Elizabethtown on Wednesday, visiting East Columbus handed East Bladen an 8-1 Three Rivers Conference loss.
The doubles team of Tucker Norton and Jackson Bostic gave the Eagles their lone win, an 8-6 verdict at No. 2 doubles.