
Carolina Marshall delivers a pitch for Triton on Monday night.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)
Hot-hitting Triton took a 12-4 varsity softball win on the road against rival Midway on Monday night.
“We hit the ball hard tonight,” said Triton coach Mark Whitman. “We hit the ball hard, it got up into the wind and it knocked it down and stuff like that. Overall, I’m very pleased with the effort tonight. We hit the ball 1-9 tonight, all the way through the lineup. I was very pleased with the effort. We had a little bit of a ‘Come to Jesus’ meeting on Thursday about some different things and I think the talk helped. I’m proud of the girls tonight. They did what I asked them to do. I told them to come out and have fun and play Triton softball and they did.”
Starter Caroline Marshall was the winning pitcher for the Hawks (4-2). In five and one-third innings, the junior gave up one earned run on four hits, three walks and one hit batter, with three strikeouts. Sophomore Gracyn Slaughter pitched one and two-thirds innings, yielding one earned run on two hits, with two strikeouts.
“(Marshall) pitched really well out there tonight,” Whitman said. “And then Gracyn comes in, and it’s hard to come in cold like she did, but I know she can do it if she’s got to.”
Senior Alexis Howard had three hits, including two triples, five RBIs and three runs scored and sophomore Kaila Cooney had three hits, two RBIs and one run scored to lead Triton offensively.
Reagan Bradham had two hits and two runs scored. Brittany Ireland had one hit and two RBIs. Tyler Grace Gamblin had one hit and two runs scored. Mary Kate Lucas had one hit and one run scored. Slaughter and Mackenzie Reid had one hit apiece. Tatiana Muniz had two runs scored. Ella Layn scored once.
“A little more patient and looking for good pitches,” Whitman said. “Not chasing out of the zone. We chased a little bit in the first inning, but we settled in and started making her throw the ball across the plate a little bit and we started teeing on it. I thought Tyler Grace Gamblin came in and put the ball in play tonight. She started off the big inning with a hit up the middle.”
Senior J.J. Sankey had three hits, including a double and a triple, and two runs scored to lead the Raiders (4-2).
“She’s a heck of a ball player,” Whitman said. “She hit the ball well tonight. She’s a player. She’s an athlete.”
Erin Barefoot had one hit and two RBIs. Caitlyn Holland and Alyssa Wrench each had one hit and one RBI. Jega Dapuyen and Chloe Baggett scored one run apiece.
Triton scored one run in the first inning, one in the second, two in the fourth, three in the sixth and four in the seventh. Midway scored one run in the first inning, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Brown scores two goals
Triton also took a varsity girls soccer win at Midway by a 2-0 margin Monday.
Senior Peyton Brown scored both goals for the Hawks (3-1-1), with sophomore Billie Kate Pope providing the assist on both. Senior Caitlyn Ahl recorded the shut-out in goal, including two saves.
The loss dropped Midway to 1-4-1 on the season.
Midway returns to East Central 2-A Conference play on the road against Sampson County rival Clinton (3-3, 0-1 ECC) on Tuesday. The Raiders, the defending conference champions, are currently 2-0 in conference play.
Triton starts Tri-County Six 3-A Conference play at Southern Lee (0-4) on Tuesday.
“I think, for the most part, we’re ready for conference play,” Whitman said. “Go to Southern Lee tomorrow and then we’re back home on Friday. It really starts tomorrow. We’re 0-0 and we’ve really got to come out with a bang tomorrow.”

Peyton Brown scored both goals for the Triton girls Monday.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)

Billie Kate Pope assisted on both goals for the Hawks.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)