CERRO GORDO — The bats were back.
West Bladen rapped 16 hits and whalloped host West Columbus 19-5 on Tuesday evening in Three Rivers Conference high school softball. The Lady Knights had been one-hit and six-hit in 10-0 and 12-2 losses last week.
• Playoffs: West Bladen remains in the thick of it. South Columbus is the unbeaten league leader and West Bladen, East Bladen and Whiteville each have one loss. The regular season ends next week and the Lady Knights conclude with St. Pauls on Thursday, South Columbus next Tuesday and rival East Bladen next Thursday — all in Bladenboro. All six 2-A teams are fighting for one automatic berth; there are four wild cards in the 2-A East bracket.
• Lady Knights: Sophomore Madison Taylor, 3-for-5, 4 RBI, double; sophomore Kylie Durden, 2-for-2, 3 RBI, triple; senior Abigail Madden, 3-for-3, 2 RBI, two doubles; junior Taylor Lewis, 3-for-3, 2 RBI, triple; sophomore Rylee Chadwick, 1-for-3, RBI; senior Madison Walters, RBI; sophomore Hailey Guyton, RBI; one hit each for senior Alyssa Suggs, junior Jessalyn Vendricks, sophomore MacKenzie Singletary and freshman Lena Trinidad.
• Lady Vikings: Haven’t won a game or come within 10 runs of an opponent.
• Seventeen: Teams combined to go 17-for-17 in stolen bases, with Madden and Lewis swiping three each and Durden a pair.
• Next: West Bladen 4-1 Three Rivers, 8-3 overall, hosts St. Pauls on Thursday; West Columbus 0-6 Three Rivers, 0-11 overall, at Whiteville on Thursday.