BLYTHEWOOD – April did not start well for the Blythewood softball team.
The Bengals ran headlong into West Florence ace pitcher Annie Ruth Eliason in back-to-back losses April 1 and 3. Eliason struck out 26 batters in both games as Blythewood saw its 9-game winning streak snapped.
After those games Sumter pitcher Lillie Ivey blanked the Bengals 8-0 April 8.
After that game Blythewood head coach Jordan Atkinson laid down a challenge for her veteran team.
“We’ve been playing well all year and we didn’t play well for three games in a row,” Atkinson said. “I’m very pleased that we rose to the challenge.”
The Bengals roared back to life after three games of scorelessness Thursday night. Blythewood batters shook Ivey for 11 hits, including five extra-base hits, in an 11-1 victory in five innings.
Charlotte Martin got the complete-game victory in the circle for the Bengals (15-5, 7-3), giving up two hits and one unearned run. She walked one and struck out four.
“We put some kids in that hadn’t gotten to play much, and I’m super excited about how they performed today and stepped up,” Atkinson said. “Charlotte Martin pitched very well for us and Rhames (Weisinger) is our first-year catcher and has been hitting great in the three-spot all year. It was a good win.”
Keeley Hughes had three doubles and drove in three runs for the Bengals. Cici Martin had two hits including a double, and three RBI. Ashley Duncan tripled.
Sumter (12-6-1, 5-3) led 1-0 after scoring in the top of the second inning.
In the bottom of the second Hughes hit a 2-out, 2-run double that drove in Lily Zell and Macie Young. Later in that inning Weisinger’s RBI single scored Hughes to give Blythewood a 3-1 lead.
The Bengals got three more runs in the bottom of the third. Martin’s 1-out single scored Raygan Segars. On Hillary Ortiz’ single, an infield error allowed Lily Zell and Martin to score.
In Blythewood’s 5-run fourth, Duncan’s triple drove in Weisinger’s courtesy runner, Zalayha Rhodes, and Segars single brought Duncan home to make it 8-1 Bengals. With one out, Martin’s 2-run double scored Segars and Zell, and with two out, Hughes’ double scored Martin for the final run of the game.
The Bengals, who lost three seniors from last year—Josie Smythe, who is at Winthrop, Neilah Brown who is at Francis Marion second base, and Kaitlyn Anderson who is at USC-Sumter, is off for Spring Break and returns to the diamond against Ridge View April 22.
Sumter – 0-1-0-0-0 – 1, 2, 4
Blythewood – 0-3-3-5-X – 11, 11, 1
WP: Charlotte Martin, 5 IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 4K.
B – Keeley Hughes 3-4, 2B(3), 3 RBI. Raygan Segars 2-3. Cici Martin 2-2, 2B, 3 RBI. Ashley Duncan 3B.
