Hartsville softball tames May River
By Don Gearhart
The Hartsville versus May River playoff game got off to a slow start as neither team scored in the opening frame.
The Lady Sharks got two runners on base in the second inning but could do no damage. Abbey Byrd started the Lady Red Foxes off in the bottom of the second by getting on base via an error. Caydon Thompson wasted little time in blasting a two-run homer to centerfield giving the Lady Red Foxes an early 2-0 lead.
May River replaced the zero on the scoreboard in the top of the third. Three consecutive hits with nobody out scored the initial run with the promise of more. Pitcher, Trinity Davis then struck out a batter and used her reliable defense to diminish any further scoring. After Myah Harvey lined out sharply to short to start the Hartsvile third, Jaysha McCullough bunted for a base hit and Davis got aboard on an error. Avarie Easters then doubled to score both runners. Byrd was safe on a fielder’s choice but Easters was erased trying to reach third. Thompson worked the count to three balls and one strike before seeing a pitch she liked and blasting it over the left field fence for her second two-run homer of the game and giving the Lady Foxes a 6-1 lead.
Solid defense kept the Lady Sharks scoreless in the top of the fourth inning with Allie Bailey taking over in the circle for Hartsville. Carter Shumate led off the Hartsville fourth with a base hit. Harvey walked as did McCullough to load the bases. Shumate scored on a wild pitch before Bailey was retired on a bunt. Easters hit into a fielder’s choice when her ground ball was not thrown to first for an out.. Byrd’s grounder to second was booted allowing two runs to score. Showing respect for Thompson’s power, as she was intentionally walked. Emma Kate Hudson collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center and the Lady Red Foxes owned a 10-1 advantage.
Bailey gave up a couple of hits in between two strikeouts to limit the Lady Sharks in the top of the fifth. Facing elimination via the ten-run rule, May River did not start out the bottom of the fifth very well. Aliyah Smith got on base on an error. Tatum Weaver laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Smith into scoring position. Harvey then delivered the dagger with a double to left that easily allowed the eleventh run to score and give Hartsville the 11-1 victory.
McCullough and Thompson each had two hits for the Lady Red Foxes. Both of Thompson’s hit left the yard.