Hartsville softball keeps playoff hopes alive
Hartsville’s Allie Bailey pitching for the Red Foxes. SHOT BY B. KOLE
Hartsville’s Abbey Byrd running to first base after a huge hit. SHOT BY B. KOLE
By Don Gearhart
For the second time in this year’s playoffs, the Hartsville Lady Red Foxes played host to the Lady Sharks from May River at Phyllis C. Griggs Ballpark. In the first game, Hartsville held May River to a single run in the third inning in an 11-1 win. The Lady Sharks were determined to make this game a little more difficult for the hosts. A base hit to start the game followed by an error and a base-on-balls resulted in a bases loaded situation with nobody out. Allie Bailey induced a foul pop fly for the first out, but a base hit drove in one run while still maintaining all bases full of Lady Sharks. A fly ball to right field was just not deep enough to score the runner from third and a grounder to short, where the runner was out by interference, ended the inning with the damage being only a 1-0 deficit for the Lady Red Foxes.
Hartsville does not like being behind in a game and let everyone know in a hurry. Myah Harvey got aboard on an error. Jaysha McCullough bunted for a base hit. Trinity Davis hit into a fielder’s choice for an RBI that tied the game and was safe when the throw to first was not in time to get her out. Consecutive hits by Avarie Easters and Abbey Byrd drove two more runs across the plate. With two runners aboard, May River elected to intentionally walk Caydon Thompson to load the bases. Thompson, who had hit two long home runs against the Lady Sharks in the previous contest, was eventually walked intentionally three more times throughout the contest. Emma Kate Hudson never had a chance to hit the ball as she was hit by a pitch to bring in another run. Jamarria Pendergrass drove home another with a sacrifice fly to right field and Carter Shumate drove yet another run home with a base hit. Nine batters, eight runs and still only one out brought Harvey up for her second at bat of the inning. Her hot grounder to second bounced in and out of the fielder to keep the runs coming. McCullough execute another perfect bunt hit to load the bases once again. Not for long, though, as Davis hit a line drive over the left-center field fence for a grand slam home run. Easters got on base on an error. Syndey Matthews, running for Easters, stole second and scored on Byrd’s base hit. Thompson was intentionally walked again and Hudson’s base hit was not enough to score Byrd, but the bases were full of Lady Red Foxes again. Pendergrass collected her second RBI on a fielder’s choice. In all, the Lady Red Foxes sent eighteen batters to the plate before the inning was over and jumped to a 13-1 lead.
May River, who hit the ball hard all night, came right back in the top of the second. A lead-off hit was erased when the next batter lined out to Hudson at second base. Hudson, who had made a nice play to snare the liner, then threw to first to double up the runner. But May River was not done. Four consecutive hits plated two runs and bases were loaded when a fly ball out to right field ended the threat. Hartsville got one run back in their half of the second. McCullough tripled to left-center field and scored on a sacrifice fly by Davis.
The Lady Sharks had three hits in the top of the third but had little to show for it as two exceptional defensive plays by Hartsville to cut down runners left May River still down by a 14-3 count. Bailey settled down and only allowed two other baserunners the remainder of the game. In the bottom of the fourth, Harvey lined a one-out base hit up the middle and crossed the plate when pinch hitter, Aliyah Smith, hit a long home run to left. Smith, just a seventh grader, showed a lot of power in her plate appearance.
McCulough and Byrd, with three hits apiece, led Hartsville’s fourteen hit effort. Harvey and Easters each contributed two hits. Bailey was the winning pitcher in the circle for the Lady Red Foxes.
The final score of 16-3 was ended after five innings due to the 10-run rule. Now the 15-8 Lady Red Foxes travel to Lugoff-Elgin for a rematch against the Lady Demons.