PILOT MOUNTAIN — West Stokes completed a season sweep of East Surry with a 10-6 nonconference victory.
The Wildcats scored in five of seven innings and led by as many as six runs. The Cardinals rallied back to make it 7-6 through four innings, but a pitching change halted the home team’s momentum. The Cats added a trio of insurance runs across the final three innings while holding the Cards to two hits in the same span.
West Stokes improved to 13-3 with Friday’s win and has now won six of its past seven meetings against East Surry.
The Wildcats’ two pitchers combined for nine strikeouts against the Cardinals. Sydney Holder got the start and pitched 3 2/3 innings, finishing with: three strikeouts, four bases on balls, one hit by pitch, and six runs allowed on eight hits.
Olivia Goforth took over on the mound in the fourth inning and changed the trajectory of the game. East Surry scored five runs across the previous two innings, then only put three total players on base across the next three innings. Goforth threw six strikeouts, one base on balls and allowed two hits in 3 1/3 innings.
West Stokes won its first meeting against East Surry 10-0 on April 4.
West scored four runs in the first inning of that game, then followed it up with three first-inning runs in the rematch.
The Cats pounced on the Cardinals when Goforth led off with a single. Goforth sped around the bases before scoring on a hit from Alyssa Sparks, then a Cardinal fielding error on a hit from Holder made it 2-0. A hit from Ashlynn Cox brought Holder home to increase the visitors’ lead to 3-0.
East Surry responded with a run in the bottom of the inning when Gracie Sechrist scored on a ground ball up the middle hit by Elise Marion. The Cardinals then forced the Wildcats to go three up, three down in the top of the first. The Cards failed to capitalize though and went scoreless in the bottom of the second.
West Stokes recharged its offensive firepower and added four runs in the third inning. Goforth set the tone with a triple to start the inning, then scored on a single from Haley Yates. East Surry forced a double play in hopes of ending the inning early, but West followed with a double from Holder and 2-run homer from Cox. The damage wasn’t done yet as Baylee Tilley, Reese Hall, and Halo Akers each recorded hits to make it 7-1.
Not out of the fight just yet, East added two runs of its own in the bottom of the third. Marion hit a line drive to the fence in center field to score Gracie Sechrist, then Marion later scored on a line drive from Emma Love.
The Cardinals continued their offensive onslaught in the bottom of the fourth after holding the Wildcats to one hit in the top of the inning.
Marion, Addy Sechrist and Gracie Sechrist were all on base with two outs when Maggie Clement hit an RBI single. Audrey Hiatt followed with a 2RBI double that hit the center field fence. The lead was cut to 7-6 when Goforth took over on the mound for West and immediately ended the inning.
Neither side had another explosive inning for the remainder of the game. West’s ability to put runners on base during each at-bat — combined with Goforth’s strong pitching — proved to be the difference. Akers scored Cox with a hit in the fifth, Sparks scored Goforth in the sixth, and Cox made it 10-6 by scoring on a ground out in the seventh.
East Surry’s Grace Leftwich was walked in the fifth inning, but was left stranded on base. Marion and Maggie Clement each singled in the sixth inning, but Goforth left both runners on by throwing three strikeouts.
The game ended with East Surry grounding out twice and striking out once in the seventh.
Pitching
West Stokes
Sydney Holder — 3 2/3 IP, 3K, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 8H, 6R
Olivia Goforth — 3 1/3 IP, 6K, 1 BB, 2H
East Surry
Gracie Sechrist — 3 IP, 2K, 9H, 7R
Emma Love — 4 IP, 1 BB, 7H, 3R
Scoring
West Stokes — 3, 0, 4, 0, 1, 1, 1 — 10
East Surry — 1, 0, 2, 3, 0, 0, 0 — 6
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