DEEP RUN — Both East Duplin’s Zoe Turner and South Lenoir’s Callie Tyndall brought their A-game’s to the circle on Friday night as they entered into a pitcher’s duel which ultimately ended in South Lenoir coming out on top 2-1.
The Panthers went up to bat first in the game, and their very first batter Ava Noble got on base with a single. She then stole second base and reached third base on a throwing error. After reaching third, she was then knocked home by freshman Karsyn Parker, and just like that, East Duplin took a 1-0 lead.
The Panthers lead didn’t last for long though as in the second inning South Lenoir sophomore Carley Boone knocked in junior Makenzie Herring from third base to tie the game at 1-1.
Just when it seemed as if the offenses, with each scoring a run in the first inning, both Turner and Tyndall found their rhythm on the mounds and began to throw with both power and placement forcing flyouts, groundouts, and strikeouts seemingly with ease.
In the top of the fourth inning, after having difficulty even getting runners on base in the second and third innings, junior Emory Raynor and senior Neyland Tate both reached base to put runners on first and second with two outs. Turner, who was excellent on the mound, was unable to find that same momentum at the plate and hit a flyout in foul territory to end the top of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Panthers had another great opportunity to score when Parker reached second base with a one-out double. She was unable to score though as seniors Kinsley Bond and Carley Grace Jenkins hit back-to-back groundouts to end the inning.
Those missed opportunities would go on to hurt them when, in the bottom of the sixth inning, freshman Rylan Wade reached third with a one-out triple. She was then knocked in during the very next at-bat thanks to an RBI single from junior Makenzie Herring which put the Blue Devils up 2-1.
The Panthers then ended the inning with a double play, but they were unable to score in the top of the seventh; the final score remained 2-1.
East Duplin head coach Greg Jenkins said that despite the loss, he was proud of how everyone on his team played, especially Turner.
“It was a great game. We threw a sophomore that hadn’t pitched but eight innings all year, and I thought she battled and played with a lot of heart. I thought our team played with a lot of heart, and it was a great game to watch.”
With the loss, East Duplin fell to 9-9 overall and 7-3 in North Carolina High School Athletic Association 2A East Central Conference play which puts them two games behind North Lenoir and South Lenoir in conference losses. With the win, South Lenoir improved to 10-5 overall and is a half a game ahead of North Lenoir for first place in the conference standings with an 8-1 record.
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