Airport shut down in Hartsville
By Don Gearhart
The Airport shutdown in Hartsville on May 4 was not due to inclement weather although the Lady Eagles from West Columbia experienced a different kind of storm. After Avery Ingram led off the game with a double over the left fielder’s head, then scored when a grounder to short sailed wide of first base, Airport did not get another runner on base until a one out walk in the fifth and final inning.
The Lady Red Foxes quickly responded. Myah Harvey walked to start the inning and promptly stole second base. She was still there two outs later when Caydon Thompson lined an RBI single to bring her home and tie the game. Kindon Dawson’s grounder to short went through the shortstop’s glove and put two runners aboard. Averie Easters didn’t waste any time by doubling home both runners with a gap shot to right. Abbey Byrd followed with a base hit. Eighth grader, Sarah Watkins, capped off the explosive inning with her first varsity home run. The score at the end of the first inning was Hartsville 6, and Airport 1.
The Lady Red Foxes second inning started the same way as the first inning with Harvey working a base-on-balls and stealing second. With one out, Alyssa Poston lined a double to enable Harvey to score. Thompson immediately duplicated the double act driving in Poston. Dawson’s line drive base hit drove in Thompson. Easters was hit by a pitch and Byrd was safe on a soft infield hit to third. Watkins worked a bases loaded walk for her fourth RBI of the game and Hartsville opened the lead to 10-1 after two innings.
Hartsville added three more runs in the third and with a comfortable 13-1 lead, Allie Bailey replaced Poston in the circle and retired the Lady Eagles in order. Hartsville’s bottom of the fourth was full of substitutions as Coach Amber Harvey emptied her bench in an effort to get all players in the game. Carter Shumate walked to start the inning and moved to third when McKayla Ghoens doubled down the right field line. Harvey then doubled into the left center gap to plate both runners. Courtney Gainey the walked ahead of Poston’s booming triple that scored both runners. EK Hudson walked ahead of Dawson’s RBI double scored Poston. Easters third hit of the game accounted for her fourth RBI as Hudson crossed the plate. The six run inning showed Hartsville with a 19-1 lead to end the game.