The Quad remains unbeaten
Coaches discuss the game with The Quad Girls Softball Team after the second game on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. They played Sumter Legends on Monday and the Sumter Patriots on Tuesday. They will play Bishopville on Thursday, June 22 in Hartsville. PICTURED HERE (left to right): Coach Chris Weaver, Tatum Weaver, Olivia Martin, Coach Lee Andrews, Mackenzie Kubas, Dakota Melancon, Trinity Davis, Jaysha McCullough, Caydon Thompson, Alyssa Poston, Savanna Parker, Ashton Goodwin, Coach Madie Andrews and Whittney Turner. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
By Don Gearhart
With two undefeated teams squaring off in Darlington, something had to give. In a very exciting and low-scoring contest, The Quad captured the victory in the first game against the Florence Post 1 squad.
The scoreboard showed all zeros through the top of the third inning. Savannah Parker led off the bottom of the frame with a solid base hit up the middle. Jaysha McCullough earned a walk before Tatum Weaver laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Olivia Martin drove in the first run of the contest with a ground ball fielder’s choice giving The Quad a scant 1-0 lead.
Post 1 responded to tie the game in the top of the fourth. A leadoff double, a flyout advancing the runner to third, and a sacrifice fly resulted in the score.
The Quad answered right back. Ashton Goodwin walked with one out and Trinity Davis drove home a run with a long triple over the right fielder’s head. Davis would score on Parker’s double and The Quad had raised their lead to 3-1 with one inning to play.
After two quick outs, Post 1 made things interesting. A base hit was followed by a fly ball to right field that ended in a three-base error. One run scored and the batter got waved around. The tying run was averted when a strong relay throw to home caught the runner in a bang-bang play at the plate to end the game.
Weaver and Parker each had two of The Quad’s six hits. Mackenzie Kubas, making her Quad debut, got the win in the circle giving up two runs on three hits while striking out six and not allowing a free pass.
Game 2
The nightcap was more Quad-like. With Alyssa Poston seeking her third no-hitter in three tries, Post 1 had little to show against the hard-throwing lefty. Poston only faced nine batters in the contest, striking out six and not allowing a ball out of the infield.
Meanwhile, The Quad started early and often. Poston led off the bottom of the first with a base-on-balls. After stealing second, Poston moved to third when Parker’s grounder resulted in an error. Olivia Martin drove home a run on a double. With runners on second and third, Dakota Melancon got credited for two RBI when her fielder’s choice grounder to third scored Parker. An alert Martin, kept the wheels churning and scored all the way from second on the play to give The Quad a quick 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, The Quad doubled their first inning output to take a 9-0 lead. Trinity Davis walked to open the frame and Avarie Easters was hit by a pitch. Whitney Turner’s attempted sacrifice bunt turned into a base hit to load the bases. Poston wasted little time, driving in two runs with a double. Parker drove home two more with a single up the middle. Martin stroked a base hit and Melancon got her second RBI of the game with a base hit. The sixth run of the inning scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of MaKenzie Kubas.
Needing three runs to clinch the game via the 12-run rule after three innings, The Quad went to work. Easters lined a single to center and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. Poston then blasted a double to left-center to drive in a run. Parker drove in Poston to make the score 11-0. But Parker’s hit got past the center fielder’s glove allowing her to go all the way to third. Martin’s sacrifice fly to center ended the game with a 12-0 victory for The Quad.
Parker had three hits and both Poston and Martin garnered two hits apiece