Big 3rd helps East Wilkes claim battle of Cardinals

RONDA — One big inning powered East Wilkes’ softball team to a 9-1 nonconference win against East Surry on Thursday night.

Now 2-1, the Lady Cardinals had an opportunity to end the game via the mercy rule in the middle of the sixth after Kyleigh Lane, who made it a 9-0 game with an RBI double, took third on a passed ball.

But Gracie Sechrist, East Surry’s relief pitcher, induced a groundout to end the inning.

The visitor’s ended the Lady Cardinals’ shutout bid with an RBI single in the top of the seventh from Tegan Minor.

But Chloe Andrews, who went the distance inside the pitching circle for East Wilkes, wouldn’t allow East Surry to get any closer as the junior struck out Grace Leftwich to end the game.

Andrews earned the win as she allowed just two hits (and one walk) with 11 strikeouts.

Elise Marion, Andrews’ pitching counterpart, pitched well early despite the two runs allowed in the bottom of the first.

Marion ran into trouble an inning later as East Wilkes loaded the bases, but was able to work out of the jam.

The junior ran into trouble again in the bottom of the third after Gracelynn Whitt doubled the Lady Cardinals lead with a two-run single.

Marion was pulled for Sechrist and Kali Cook added to the lead with a 2-run single; RBI singles from Andrews and Jayden Hutchison pushed the advantage to 8-0 after three innings.

Hutchison — one of four Lady Cardinal seniors who has signed to play in college (Cook, Lane and Abby Hatley being the others) — paced the hosts as the Rutgers University-signee went 2-for-4 and scored twice. No other player on either team had multiple hits.

East Wilkes began a busy week on Tuesday night when it hosted Mount Airy in its Northwest 1A Conference opener and then hosted Forbush the next night. The Lady Cardinals will travel to Elkin on Friday.

East Surry, which also received a 1-for-3 performance from Marion, open up Foothills 2A Conference play on Friday night against North Wilkes.

Elkin holds off Lady Warriors

The Lady Elks upped their record to 3-2, ahead of their Northwest 1A Conference opener, after a 10-6 win against West Iredell on Friday.

Elkin earned the win after it dropped a 4-0 decision at South Caldwell on Thursday.

The Lady Elks used a five-run third inning to lead 10-1 after five innings, but the Lady Warriors plated four runs in the sixth and cut the deficit to four with an RBI groundout from Taylor Stikeleather.

But Karly Gentry, who relieved starter Lily Robbins in the top of the sixth, retired the next two in order to end the game.

Robbins struck out 11 and scattered five hits to pick up the win inside the pitching circle. Gentry did not allow a hit and no earned runs in two innings of work.

Robbins was one of four Elkin players to collect two hits in the win. Maggie Tomlin (double and two runs batted in), Mackenzie White and Leigha Church (double) were the others.

Zoey Cincotti also doubled in the game while Gentry drove in a pair of runs for the Lady Elks, who started league play on Tuesday at North Stokes.

Megan Morrison paced West Iredell (0-2) with two hits.

Against the Lady Spartans, Robbins (double), Tomlin, Church, White, Lexi Bray and Aiden Byrd all had one hit apiece for Elkin.

Mcartney Harrington led South Caldwell (5-0) with a 3-for-3 showing at the plate. The sophomore was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle in the win.