HERTFORD — Northside-Pinetown ended Perquimans' state playoff run Wednesday night with a 7-3 victory over the Pirates in Hertford.
It figured that the game would be a competitive contest. The softball teams had split two games earlier in the season, with the Panthers winning 7-4 back in March, and Perquimans taking the second game 7-5 in early April.
However, Pinetown, 18-4, took the all-important rubber match by posting five runs in a decisive 5th inning, erasing a 3-1 Pirate lead, and sending the Panthers on to the 4th round of the 1A NCHSSA softball state playoffs.
Pinetown got on the board first in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Londyn Keech doubled down the right field line to score Isabella Boykin who had walked and moved to second on a groundout. Perquimans' starting pitcher Addisyn Stallings then got the next hitter to ground to shortstop to end the inning.
Perquimans, 20-9, responded in the bottom of the second inning. Bristyl Riddick led off with a drive over the left fielder's head for a double. Morgan Baccus reached on an infield error putting Pirates on the corners with nobody out. The two runners executed a double steal, with Riddick coming home on the throw to second, which got away and allowed Baccus to move to third.
Kenley Stallings was hit by a pitch as Panther pitcher Boykin went through a stretch of wildness. A wild pitch and a passed ball got a second run home, and then after a pop out, Karsyn Clayton's sharp ground ball into the shortstop hole brought home the third run of the inning. The home team would almost score one more run, but Pinetown first baseman Samantha Braddy made a perfect throw home to nip a sliding Pirate for the third out.
The freshman hurler Stallings worked out of minor jams the next two innings to preserve the 3-1 advantage. With two outs and two on base in the third, she induced a routine fly to center. In the fourth, the Panthers had two runners on with just one out. A line drive to left initially looked like a base hit, but Kaydee Hunter made the running catch and doubled up the Pinetown runner at second base. Perquimans loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the third, but a ground ball force out ended the threat.
Stallings walked two batters around a flyout in the top of the fifth. Coach Rickey Stallings made a pitching change to Makinzie Stokely. Perquimans then committed an uncharacteristic overthrow on an infield grounder. The error allowed the Panthers to score their second run.
After a batter interference call for the second out, two more batters worked free passes, the second forcing home the tying run.
Up came Pinetown leadoff hitter Taylor Willard who had already singled twice in the game. The lefty swinger tripled to the right field fence driving in three runs and giving the Panthers a 6-3 lead. The third out would then be recorded but Pinetown had scored five runs on just one hit.
Perquimans would get two runners on in the fifth, and load the bases in the sixth, but could not get a big base hit to get back in the game. Pinetown got their final run in the seventh on Willard's fourth hit of the game.
Perquimans coach Stallings acknowledged that the 5-run inning was very unusual for his team.
"Our strength is our defense, and we just don't give up many runs," he said. "I think we were squeezed with a tough strike zone, and you just can't throw the ball right down the middle to that team. You have to pitch the corners. But I give them credit for taking those pitches."
On the season, the coach heaped praise on the group he coached this year.
"They were a great group, always working hard, no drama, always supporting each other," he said. "They spend time together off the field, not just in the practice and games. We had a very tough schedule, maybe the most difficult in the area, but here we were, in the playoffs again. There is a tremendous pride in the Perquimans softball program."
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