BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood softball team got off to a strong start in the 5A Division I playoffs Monday night.
The Bengals hit three home runs and had 16 hits in opening the District 1 Tournament with a 12-2, 5-inning victory over Mauldin. Pitcher Charlotte Martin threw five innings and gave up two hits and struck out six.
“Outfield hit great today,” head coach Jordan Atkinson said. “We had two home runs from them and I don’t know how many doubles. Charlotte pitched great today, and defense was flawless. It’s what you want to see at this point in the year.”
As the 6-team, double-elimination tournament progresses, No.5 seed Blythewood (19-7) plays at No.4 seed Clover (13-12) Wednesday, and the winner of that game plays the winner of the No.8 River Bluff-No.1 Byrnes game Friday. The Blythewood-Clover loser plays the No.9 Spartanburg-No.12 Mauldin (2-16) winner Friday.
This year’s format differs from previous district tournaments that featured only four teams.
“I think we’ll end up liking this a lot better because you won’t end up playing two teams in four games, or making the same trip for back-to-back games,” Atkinson said. “And you’re not locked in by your region finish, you’re locked in by your RPI and your wins.”
Mauldin actually took a 2-0 lead on Blythewood in the first inning.
Ella Smith led off the game with a walk and Ashley Weninger reached base on an error. Jenna Cecere grounded out for the first out, but when Katelyn Cilla grounded out Smith was able to score and Weninger moved to third base.
Weninger scored when Abi Philo reached base on an infield error.
That was the last of Blythewood’s infield mistakes, and the last time the Mavericks plated anyone. Avery Dreckman grounded into a fielder’s choice that ended the inning and brought the Bengals to bat.
Blythewood’s turn didn’t start off well. Keeley Hughes flied out to centerfield and Makalah Ford was out on an infield pop-up. With two outs, Rhames Weisinger kept the inning alive with a single to rightfield.
With Zalayha Rhodes as Weisinger’s courtesy runner at first, cleanup hitter Ashley Duncan came to the plate, and worked the count to three balls and one strike while Rhodes stole second base. With one swing of the bat Duncan parked a ball over the fence in leftfield and tied the game at 2-2.
After that shot, Raygan Segars was hit by a pitch and Martin drew a walk on four straight pitches to put runners on first and second for Molly Wolf. Wolf swung at the first pitch and belted it over the centerfield fence for a 3-run homer that put Blythewood up 5-2.
The Bengals kept on hitting. Gabby Cook, Macie Young and Hughes hit three straight singles to load the bases, but Ford popped out in the infield to retire the side.
With her infield’s first-inning goofs behind her, Martin got serious in the circle for the Bengals. Over the next four innings she gave up two hits, struck out six and stranded four baserunners.
Cici Martin hit a solo homer to start the bottom of the third to make it 6-2. Hughes hit a 1-out single that drove in Cook later in the inning to make it 7-2.
The Bengals closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth with five runs on three doubles, two singles and a walk to take a 12-2 lead and end the game on the 10-run mercy rule.
Every Bengal in the lineup got a hit. Besides the dingers from Martin, Duncan and Wolf, Segars, Young and Wolf hit doubles. Wolf drove in four runs, Young was 3-for-3, Hughes was 3-for-4, and Duncan was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI.
Blythewood – 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 – 0, 4, 1
South Florence – 0-0-0-0-0-2-X – 2, 5, 0
WP: P Perry, 7 IP, 4H, 11K.
B – Cici Martin 2-3. S – P White 2-3.
Mauldin – 2-0-0-0-0 – 2, 2, 0
Blythewood – 5-0-2-0-5 – 12, 16, 2
WP: Charlotte Martin, 5 IP, 2H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 6K.
M – Ashley 2B. B – Molly Wolf 2-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI. Ashley Duncan 2-4, HR, 2 RBI. Raygan Segars 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI. Macie Young 3-3, 2B. Keeley Hughes 3-4. Cici Martin HR.
