MOUNT OLIVE — After falling behind 0-1 in the first inning, the Rebels rallied back with a 6-run third inning to take a 6-1 lead before ultimately going on to defeat Pender 10-2 in Saturday’s North Carolina High School Athletic Association Second Round 1A State Playoff game.
In the top of the first inning, the Pender Patriots got off to a good start when senior Jamiah Johnson quickly got into scoring position with a walk and then stealing second base. After back-to-back strikeouts by Lilly Fulghum, it looked as if the inning may come to an end, but Johnson was able to come home to score during the next at-bat when freshman Alyna Rooks hit an RBI double to knock her home.
After the early run, both teams struggled at the plate with North Duplin’s Fulghum and Pender’s Rooks only allowing two combined hits (both singles) for the rest of the first and second innings as well as the top of the third innings.
In the bottom of the third inning though, with two outs, Reece Outlaw changed the momentum of the game when she finally got her team into scoring position with a double. After stealing third, she came home to score the very next at-bat when Fulghum hit an RBI triple to knock her home and tie the game at 1-1. Fulghum also came home to score when she was knocked in by an Ady Spence RBI single which gave the Rebels a 2-1 lead.
Marissa Bernal came up to bat next for North Duplin, and she hit a single to put runners on first and second base before Sara Thomas Tucker hit a single to center field which, after an error by the Pender outfielder, allowed both runners to come home and score and take a 4-1 lead.
The Rebels also went on to score two addition runs in the inning as the very next at-bat, Abby Norris, knocked Tucker home with an RBI double, and Norris then came home too later in the inning thanks to an Lala Overton RBI single.
After a three and out top of the fourth inning by Fulghum, the Rebels added another run to their tally in the bottom of the fourth when Fulghum came home to score on a Spence groundout after she reached base earlier on the inning on an error.
North Duplin wasn’t done yet though, and in the bottom of the fifth inning, Reece Outlaw hit an 2-RBI double to give her team a 9-1 lead. After Outlaw got thrown out attempting to steal third, Fulghum then extended that lead to 10-1 with a solo home run during the next at-bat.
In the top of the seventh inning the Patriots finally scored their second run of the game when sophomore Kaylee Woodcock hit a solo home run to open up the inning. Pender was unable to score again though, and they fell by a final score of 10-2.
Fulghum, who was the game’s winning pitcher, finished with only two earned runs, two hits and five walks allowed and eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
North Duplin head coach Jaime Kylis said, after the game, that she was proud of the way her defense held strong at the beginning, but she wants to see her offense score earlier going forward.
“The goal is to start a little earlier. It’s a little frustrating. I think we are taking a little too long to make our move. We need to understand that we don’t have that time moving forward into the next round. We’ve got strike early and keep momentum.”
With the win, North Duplin improved to 16-1 overall this season and advanced to the third round of the NCHSAA 1A playoffs. Pender finished the season with 13-8 overall with the loss.
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