Haley Hicks made this play with her glove but also led Triton with her bat. (Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
One night after suffering its first loss of the season, Triton rallied with a four-run sixth inning to take a 4-1 varsity softball win in a defensive battle at rival Midway on Wednesday night.
“We hit when we needed to hit there at the end,” said Triton coach Mark Whitman. “I thought Caroline (Marshall) pitched a great game. I thought their pitcher (Miranda Holmes) did an outstanding job tonight. She kept us off balance. Both pitchers did a great job.
“It was a good game. We took advantage of some miscues on their part. They’re a good team. They’re going to be real good in the next two or three years.”
Midway coach Leigh Ann Smith was pleased with her team’s efforts.
“We played a heck of a ball game,” coach Smith said. “I told them, ‘I’m as proud of y’all as if you’d have won.’ We had a game plan with our pitcher and she executed. I couldn’t have asked for her to do better than she did.”
Sophomore Caroline Marshall pitched the complete game win for the Hawks (10-1), giving up one earned run on seven hits and no walks, with six strikeouts.
Freshman Miranda Holmes also went the distance for the Raiders (3-4), yielding three earned runs on nine hits and one walk, with four strikeouts.
Senior Haley Hicks had two hits, including a double, two RBIs and a run scored to lead Triton at the plate.
Hayden Smith had two hits. Kathryn Elliott had a double and two RBIs. Gracyn Slaughter had two hits and one run scored. Leanna Whaley and Samantha Herring had one hit apiece. Kaila Cooney and Mikaylee Flowers scored one run apiece.
Triton sophomore Brittany Ireland, who starts in right field and leads the team in RBIs and home runs, was injured in the game at Union Pines on Tuesday. She was available Wednesday, but as a precaution, her only action was one at-bat as a pinch hitter.
Junior J.J. Sankey had two hits and one run scored to lead Midway.
Chloe Baggett had one hit and one RBI. Leah Williams, Hannah Lucas, Laura Person and Blythe Best had one hit apiece.
After three scoreless innings, Midway struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sankey singled and advanced to third on a Lucas single before scoring on a hit from Baggett.
Triton sent the entire order to the plate in the top of the sixth. Herring singled to lead off the inning and Flowers, her pinch runner, reached second on an error when Cooney hit into a fielder’s choice. A bunt single from Slaughter then loaded the bases with no outs. Hicks doubled to score Flowers and Cooney and Elliott doubled to score Slaughter and Hicks.
“Haley got a big hit,” Whitman said. “Kat got a big hit with two outs again. And we got bunts down when we needed to get bunts down and got the right runners in there at the right time.”
“We’ve got to learn to recover from mistakes when we make them,” coach Smith said.
Midway got a base hit from Sankey in the bottom of the sixth and one from Best in the bottom of the seventh, but the Raiders could not bring either one home.
Midway will participate in an Easter Tournament hosted by D.H. Conley, playing Washington on Friday and Rocky Mount on Saturday.
Triton recently added a game with Princeton to its schedule for Wednesday as part of Harnett Central’s spring break tournament.
Caroline Marshall pitched a complete game for the Hawks.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
Kathryn Elliott collects a couple of RBIs for Triton.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
Chloe Baggett drives in a run for Midway on Wednesday night.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
Midway second baseman Alyssa Wrench throws to J.J. Sankey (7) at first as Caitlyn Holland looks on from shortstop in a 4-1 loss to Triton.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
