Midway softball tops Central

by John Lucas | Mar 7, 2019 | Midway

Midway shortstop Caitlyn Holland throws to first for an out.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/John Lucas)

Harnett Central looked to rally in the bottom of the seventh, but visiting Midway held on to open its varsity softball season by winning a 10-8 slugfest on Wednesday.

“They (Midway’s players) executed some things well tonight,” said Midway coach Leigh Ann Smith. “We didn’t hit a lot of long balls. They did. We just executed well in the short game. My little third baseman, Jega Dapuyen, she played a heck of a ball game. We just did all the little things right tonight. We’ve not been able to play and not been able to practice (because of inclement weather). I am extremely pleased with the way we played after not having been able to have better practices. We’ve been in the gym way too much. You can’t practice good ball in the gym. You’ve got to be on the dirt.”

First-year Harnett Central coach Chelsey Cabe saw similarities with the Trojans’ 7-4 loss at Fuquay-Varina the night before.

“Last night was pretty similar with Fuquay,” Cabe said. “We’re struggling in innings three through five. In innings three through five, we kind of drop off and allow the other team to continue at the same pace and then we come back strong and we fight at the end. But we put ourselves in a hole and make it hard to crawl out of. We’re starting strong. We’re finishing strong. It’s just that middle part. We’ve got to put seven innings together.”

Sophomore Miranda Holmes pitched the complete game win for the Raiders (1-0), yielding seven earned runs on 12 hits and six walks, with three strikeouts.

Senior Ansley Lee was the pitcher of record for the Trojans (0-2). In four relief innings, the senior yielded three earned runs on six hits and one walk, with six strikeouts.

Nine different players had at least one base hit for Midway.

Senior J.J. Sankey had three hits, two RBIs and three runs scored, junior Caitlyn Holland had three hits, including a double, two RBIs and one run scored and sophomore Jega Dapuyen had two hits and three runs scored to lead Midway at the plate.

“When we can get J.J. on base, we are going to score just about every time,” Smith said.

Alyssa Wrench had two hits and one run scored. Sydney Williams had a double and two RBIs. Erin Barefoot had one hit and two RBIs. Bella Bryant had one hit and two runs scored. Holmes and Chloe Baggett had one hit apiece. Mackenzie Maynor had one RBI.

Seniors Fallon Wimberly and Amaya Bell each had two hits, including a triple, two RBIs and one run scored to lead Central.

Lyndsey Brewer had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Lee had two hits, one RBI and one run scored. Mikaela Goss had two hits and one run scored. Shelbie Gill had one hit, one RBI and one run scored. Kolby Medlin had one hit. Laurie Blackwell had two runs scored. Lauryn Waddell scored once.

“I think at the plate we’re doing a great job,” Cabe said. “We left a few runners on, but not as many as last night. And you’re going to here and there. The biggest thing to me is we’re missing some routine plays. If the ball’s down in the infield, there’s an out that should occur somewhere. We had three different times tonight where that’s the case and we didn’t get an out anywhere. And then that’s the runs that are scoring.”

The first few innings were back-and-forth until, with the game tied 5-5, Midway took the lead for good in the top of the fourth inning. Sankey reached on an error and Holland singled to lead off the inning and both scored on a two-out double from Williams.

Midway added some insurance runs in the top of the seventh that proved to be necessary. Dapuyen walked, took second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a pinch hit single from Bryant, who stole second. Dapuyen scored on a ground ball from Maynor and Bryant scored on a two-out hit from Sankey, who took second on a wild pitch and scored on a Holland double.

Medlin and Goss each singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Waddell, Medlin’s courtesy runner, scored on a base hit from Bell that also moved Goss to third, but with Bell trying to take second on the throw home, the throw to shortstop Holland was in time from catcher Chloe Baggett for the out.

Gill singled to score Goss and Blackwell reached on an error. After a fielder’s choice saw Ella Prince, pinch running for Gill, forced out at third, Wimberly singled to bring Blackwell home. But Holmes rallied with a strikeout to end the game.

“I went to the mound and I asked (Holmes), ‘What’s working for you?’” Smith said. “She said her fastball, so I said, ‘Well, let’s blow it by her, then.’”

Midway is at home against Rosewood (0-1) on Thursday before traveling to Lakewood (1-1) for a doubleheader Friday. Harnett Central is at Cleveland (2-0) on Friday.

“I really feel like if we can beat a Harnett Central, we can beat a Rosewood,” Smith said. “And Lakewood is struggling, so four wins in a week would be great to start the season.”