Tale of Unbeatens, the Quad prevails
Alyssa Poston had a great night pitching against the Legends from Sumter in a double header in Hartsville. The first game was 4-0 and the second game was 3-2. The Quad traveled to Sumter on Monday and played the Patriots and on Tuesday the Storm. Alyssa will play for Francis Marion Softball team this coming year. PHOTO BY PHYLLIS CAPLES
Ashton Goodwin is waiting on a pitch that she lined to center field in the first game Friday against the Legends from Sumter. Ashton plays for Coker University Softball team. PHOTO BY PHYLLIS CAPLES
By Don Gearhart
For the second consecutive outing, two unbeaten teams collided at Hartsville. The Post 15 Lady Legends from Sumter visited The Quad for the right to claim first place alone. Post 15 entered the contest with a 6-0 record averaging 9.5 runs per game while only allowing an average of two runs per game. The Quad, also sporting a 6-0 record, were averaging ten runs per game while allowing less than one run per outing. The games did not disappoint an avid fan as both contests were well-played with runs being stingy throughout the double-header.
The Quad struck first in the bottom of the initial frame. Alyssa Poston led off with a walk. She advanced to second on a passed ball and her steal of third was thrown into left field allowing her to score.
After throwing no-hitters in three consecutive games, Poston finally gave up a couple of hits in the top of the second. Calli Yount hit a grounder in the hole that just alluded Olivia Martin’s grasp and Maddy Long hit a pop-up that fell between first and second. Poston responded with two strikeouts that sandwiched a comebacker to her and thwarted the only scoring threat Post 15 could muster.
After one out in the bottom of the second, Ashton Goodwin lined a base hit to center. She moved to second on a passed ball and to third on Trinity Davis’s groundout to second. With two outs, Savannah Parker stepped to the plate and after taking the first pitch for a strike, drilled the second pitch over the center field fence for a 2-run homer giving The Quad a 3-0 lead.
After Poston struck out the side in the top of the third, she led off the bottom of the frame with a triple just inside the left field foul line. Tatum Weaver hit an RBI sacrifice fly to left to score Poston and make the score 4-0.
Aside from the two hits in the second, Poston did not allow another baserunner. The Quad loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth but could not get the clutch hit that would increase the scoring margin.
A 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth sealed the deal in Game 1. Goodwin gathered two hits for The Quad and Poston improved her record to 4-0 shutting out Post 15 with eleven strikeouts and no free passes.
Game 2
The nightcap proved to be a nail-biter. Ariana Evans led off the game with a base hit but was erased one out later while trying to steal second. The Quad seemed to be in high gear in their half of the first inning. Alyssa Poston walked and stole second. She advanced to third on Savannah Parker’s swinging bunt. Parker stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Olivia Martin connected for two RBI on a hard-hit grounder in the second base hole. Martin moved to second when Caydon Thompson laid down a sacrifice bunt. Martin stole third base ahead of Dakota Melancon’s base hit and The Quad held a 3-0 advantage after one inning. Little did they know they would only have one baserunner for the remainder of the contest.
In the fourth inning, Evans led off for Post 15 with a base hit and scored when Amberly Way hit a homerun that bounced off the top of the fence in right-center. The 2-run blast tightened the lead to 3-2 with one inning to play.
The final inning started with an outstanding play by Martin who fielded a grounder in the hole and threw a perfect strike to get the batter at first. Poston struck out the next batter and induced a fly ball to center that Trinity Davis gathered in for the final out.
Poston struck out seven while giving up two runs on three hits. She did not walk a batter. In the two games, she three 111 pitches with 92 of them for strikes. The Quad is now 8-0 while the Lady Legends fall to 6-2