LUMBERTON — West Bladen’s offense was held to just three hits Saturday in the opening round of the Robeson County Slugfest and fell to Purnell Sweet, 11-1.

The two teams battled to a scoreless tie through the first two innings before the Lady Rams broke through in the third with a pair of runs behind a double, three singles, sacrifice fly and wild pitch.

Swett tacked on four runs in the fourth frame, aided by a pair of Lady Knights errors, that gave Purnell Swett a 6-0 advantage.

In the top of the fifth inning, Madison Collins got West Bladen going with a single and a walk to Alyssa Suggs put two runners on base. Moments later, Kyla Reed belted a one-out double to the left-center gap that plated Collins. Alara Cashwell followed with a blast deep into the outfield, but the ball was tracked down and a peg to second base doubled up the runner to end the inning with the Lady Rams holding a 6-1 lead.

The Lady Rams got that run back and more in the home half of the fifth, as Swett used three hits, an error and walk to plate five runs and end the game on the mercy rule.

“It just wasn’t our day,” West Bladen coach Pam Stephens said.

At the plate, Reed and Cashwell each had a double, and Collins’ single was the other Lady Knights hit. Reed had the lone RBI for West Bladen.

Collins went three-plus innings in the circle for the Lady Knights and was brought back an inning later to finish up — giving up four earned runs on seven hits and four walks. Shelby Pharr twirled that inning and gave up one earned run on five hits and a walk.

West Bladen, now 6-6, will play Red Springs on Monday at 10 a.m. in a consolation bracket game.