BREAKING NEWS: West Stanly wins 30th straight game, takes lead in 2A state finals series
Published Friday, June 2, 2023 at 7:36 p.m
The West Stanly softball team played as the visiting team in Friday’s opening game of the 2A state finals series.
West hit a 30-game winning streak and took the lead in the best-of-three series with a 4-2 win over Midway.
The Colts (30-1) threatened in the top of the first inning when Teagan Ritchie, Lily Huneycutt and Carmen McRae were hit by a pitch to load the bases. Then shortstop Jordyn Cristopher got Aliyah Rush to ground out to short to end the inning.
In the bottom of the first, Sam Carter hit a bunt single and then Krista McLean battled through eight consecutive 3-2 pitches to draw a walk. Carter then scored on Mallory Baggett’s two-out RBI single up the middle, putting Midway (22-6) up 1-0.
West answered immediately in the top of the second. Elizabeth Ingle sent a laser beam over the fence in left field to tie the game 1-1, her seventh home run of the season. Several batters later, Payton Little drove in two runs with a base hit to left, giving the Colts a 3-1 lead.
The Colts’ bats continued to add runs in the third. Singles by Brooklyn Lovin, Ingle and Hartsell set up Smith for an RBI sacrifice fly, making it 4-1.
Midway got a run back in the third when a line drive single to left plated Hartsell that allowed Carter to score, bringing the Raiders’ deficit back to two runs, 4-2.
Huneycutt and the Colts defense settled down the rest of the game and kept Midway off the board. For the game, Huneycutt allowed two runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
Cristopher took the loss for Midway, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with one walk.
Lovin, Ingle and Hartsell each had two hits for West Stanly. Carter led the Raiders with two hits.
The second game of the series will be Saturday at 11 a.m., and if a third game is needed, it will be Saturday at 5 p.m.
About Charles Curcio
Charles Curcio has been sports editor for the Stanly News & Press for more than 16 years and has also written for numerous news and feature outlets. He was awarded the NCHSAA Tim Stevens Media Representative of the Year and was named CNHI Sports Editor of the Year in 2014. He has also won an award from Boone Newspapers and won four awards from the North Carolina Press Association.
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