Following a tough outing against Trask on Friday night, Midway’s softball team was back in action on Wednesday, hosting cross-county foe, Union. The Lady Raiders wasted no time in putting that game behind them, as they jumped all over the Lady Spartans on their way to a 13-2 victory.
Midway took control early as they were able to plate four runs in the opening inning. Leah Williams, Karlee Martin, Hannah Lucas, and Laura Person each crossed the plate to build Midway’s 4-0 lead.
Things went from bad to worse for Union in the second inning. After the Lady Spartans went three-up-thee-down in the top half of the inning, the Lady Raiders exploded for seven more runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Blythe Best led the inning off with a single followed by a bunt that resulted in a no play situation by Williams. A sac bunt by Martin advanced Best and Williams. Best scored from third on a passed ball as Kayley Hawley drew the walk. Haley Brooke West stepped up the plate and belted a triple to center field that scored Williams and Hawley. Lucas drew a walk followed by a single by Person that scored West.
Person advanced to second and Lucas to third in the exchange. A wild pitch scored Person and Lucas. Abby Baggett would score the final run of the inning on a Best RBI to build Midway’s lead to 11-0.
Another scoreless inning for Union would give way to Midway scoring two more runs in the bottom of the third. West and Martin each score one run in the inning to increase Midway’s lead to 13-0.
Union was able to add one run in the top of the fourth inning. Alison Alphin led the inning off with a walk and stolen base to reach second. After Lindsey Ammons reached on a dropped fly ball, Alphin advanced to third and was then able to reach home to get the Lady Spartans on the board, 13-1.
Union added one final run in the top of the fifth. Shamyra Hope led the inning off with a walk and was moved around the bases following a series of Midway miscues that brought her home for the 13-2 final tally.
Offensively, Midway was led by Blythe Best who had three hits and scored and score one run. Person, Martin, and Williams also had two hits each. West, Lucas, and Alexis Jackson each had one hit.
Blythe Best went the distance on the mound for Midway. In five innings, she recorded nine strikeouts and no earned runs.
After the game, Midway head coach Leigh Ann Smith was pleased with the win, but admits that there are still some areas where she’d like to see improvements. “We’re really concentrating on how we’re bunting and making contact with the ball,” she said. “Defensively, we’ve had so many errors in the games that we’ve lost. So we’re focusing on defense and some trying some things we’ve not been able to try.”
Midway is back in action on Monday at East Bladen. That game is set to start at 6 p.m.
Union’s next game is Tuesday against Wallace-Rose Hill, also set for 6 p.m.