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DUBLIN – West Bladen’s Lady Knights pounded out 13 hits and ran their winning streak to 8 games in a row Wednesday night with a 9-1 Four County Conference softball victory over Wallace-Rose Hill.
“It was a total team effort,” said Lady Knight Coach Joey Autry. “Up and down the line-up, everybody’s chipping in. We keep rolling along. It is a lot of fun right now.”
Junior Sophia Singletary pitched a 7-hitter, struck out 5 and walked only one batter as she raised her season record to 9-7. “Sophia pitched ahead in the count, and we made some plays on defense behind her,” continued Coach Autry. “Alanna (Ludlum) was just phenomenal tonight. She made some great plays.”
Ludlum, a junior catcher, threw out runners stealing in the first, second and seventh innings. In the fifth inning, Ludlum jumped out in front of the plate to grab a popped up bunt and fired to firstbaseman Laikyn Pait to double a runner off of first.
In the second inning, thirdbaseman Carley Dawson snared a line drive and doubled a Wallace runner off of third base.
West Bladen grabbed a 2-0 first inning lead as junior Kassidy Anderson slammed a lead-off double and scored on junior Logan Autry’s single. Autry advanced on an error and an infield out then raced home when Ludlum delivered a single.
Autry beat out an infield hit to start the West third inning, but was forced at second by Dawson. Pait reached on an error, and Singletary dotted the rightfield line with a single that brought home Dawson for a 3-0 Lady Knight lead.
Junior Audrey Murray lined a double to left-centerfield to start the Wallace fourth inning. Junior pitcher Haley Rivenbark drove in Murray with a 2-out single to left.
The Lady Knights answered in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Conner Brisson hammered a triple over the rightfielder’s head and scored on Anderson’s sacrifice bunt.
Ludlum drew a one-out walk in the fifth, and Pait swatted a double to right-centerfield that scored Ludlum. After Pait moved up on a passed ball, junior Jenna Dove beat out an infield hit to the shortstop hole that plated Pait and pushed the West lead to 6-1.
After 2 were out in the West sixth, Autry and Dawson beat out infield hits. Ludlum whacked a single to right that scored Autry. After Pait walked, Singletary punched a single to right that scored Dawson and Ludlum and padded the lead to 9-1.
Autry batted 3-4 with a run batted in and 2 runs scored to lead West. Ludlum finished 2-3 at the plate with 2 rbi’s and 2 runs scored. Singletary was 2-4 with 3 rbi’s. Brisson tripled and scored a run. Anderson and Pait both doubled, both scored runs and drove in one run each.
Dove, Dawson and Schultz added one hit each. Dawson scored 2 runs, and Dove drove in a run.
Murray finished 2-3 at the plate with a double and a run scored for the Lady Bulldogs. Senior Amber Dixon batted 2-3, and Rivenbark singled in a run.
Rivenbark struck out 6 batters for Wallace but gave up 13 hits.
West Bladen, now 9-2 in the Four County and 12-7 overall, will host Clinton Friday night.
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