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Mount Airy advances to NW 1-A semis
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Mac Heffner
Staff Reporter
After leaving runners on base numerous times, the Mount Airy softball team came through at just the right time.
The Granite Bears, the No. 3 seed in the Northwest 1-A Conference tournament, used a one-out rally in the bottom of the sixth to beat visiting North Stokes 4-1 Monday in a first-round tournament game.
Mount Airy led 1-0 after scoring in the first inning, but the Vikings (9-13) tied the score in the top of the fourth inning.
Both teams had scoring chances, but failed to score until the Bears converted in the sixth.
Elizabeth Ballard, who was 2-for-3 in the game, led off with a single and reached second after a wild pitch from North's Jade Lawrence. Kayla Hawks hit a sharp liner to second base, which was misplayed, giving the Bears runners on the corners with no outs. Lawrence fanned Lauren Smith for the first out, but Rachel Harris put Mount Airy ahead for good with a 2-RBI double that made it 3-1.
“Rachel Harris was the definition of clutch there with runners in scoring position in a 1-1 game,” Mount Airy assistant coach Olivia Bolen said.
The Bears added one more insurance run on an error, which gave pitcher Kourtney Wagoner all the cushion she would need in the top of the seventh.
Wagoner, who only allowed three hits in the win, closed the game with a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around an easy grounder to second to seal the victory.
Bolen said she was not nervous as the game reached the later stages with the score still deadlocked.
“We've got leaders and they got the girls focused and back in the game,” Bolen said. “It was a close game for six innings, but our girls did a good job.”
Mount Airy head coach Michael Bodnar said he was tired of seeing the Bears strand baserunners. Mount Airy stranded two in the bottom of the fourth and three in the fifth, after loading the bases with only one out and still left two on in the sixth, despite scoring three runs.
“It was big to come through after the other chances we had earlier,” Bodnar said. “The sixth was big because we had left runners stranded two or three times with no outs or an out. We just didn't finish earlier.”
Mount Airy (13-7) will face No. 2 seed West Wilkes in a semifinal game today at 5 p.m. at East Wilkes High School.
Top seed East Surry beat Elkin 24-0 Monday in three innings in a first-round game in Pilot Mountain. The Cardinals will face the East Wilkes-South Stokes winner at 7 p.m. at East Wilkes. East improved to 21-2 overall and is ranked No. 1 in N.C. Softball Coaches Association Class 1-A poll. Anna Mitchell earned the shut-out win for East.
Northwest 1-A softball tournament
First Round (at Mount Airy)
MOUNT AIRY 4, NORTH STOKES 1
North Stokes 000 100 0 1 3 2
Mount Airy 100 003 x 4 8 2
Jade Lawrence and McKenzie Collins. Kourtney Wagoner and Sarah Harris. WP - Wagoner. LP - Lawrence.
Leading hitters: Atkins 4-4, run; Hawks 1-3; Ballard 2-3; Wagoner 1-1, 3 walks; R. Harris 1-4, run.
Contact Mac Heffner at mheffner@mtairynews.com, or at 719-1921.
Staff Reporter
After leaving runners on base numerous times, the Mount Airy softball team came through at just the right time.
The Granite Bears, the No. 3 seed in the Northwest 1-A Conference tournament, used a one-out rally in the bottom of the sixth to beat visiting North Stokes 4-1 Monday in a first-round tournament game.
Mount Airy led 1-0 after scoring in the first inning, but the Vikings (9-13) tied the score in the top of the fourth inning.
Both teams had scoring chances, but failed to score until the Bears converted in the sixth.
Elizabeth Ballard, who was 2-for-3 in the game, led off with a single and reached second after a wild pitch from North's Jade Lawrence. Kayla Hawks hit a sharp liner to second base, which was misplayed, giving the Bears runners on the corners with no outs. Lawrence fanned Lauren Smith for the first out, but Rachel Harris put Mount Airy ahead for good with a 2-RBI double that made it 3-1.
“Rachel Harris was the definition of clutch there with runners in scoring position in a 1-1 game,” Mount Airy assistant coach Olivia Bolen said.
The Bears added one more insurance run on an error, which gave pitcher Kourtney Wagoner all the cushion she would need in the top of the seventh.
Wagoner, who only allowed three hits in the win, closed the game with a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around an easy grounder to second to seal the victory.
Bolen said she was not nervous as the game reached the later stages with the score still deadlocked.
“We've got leaders and they got the girls focused and back in the game,” Bolen said. “It was a close game for six innings, but our girls did a good job.”
Mount Airy head coach Michael Bodnar said he was tired of seeing the Bears strand baserunners. Mount Airy stranded two in the bottom of the fourth and three in the fifth, after loading the bases with only one out and still left two on in the sixth, despite scoring three runs.
“It was big to come through after the other chances we had earlier,” Bodnar said. “The sixth was big because we had left runners stranded two or three times with no outs or an out. We just didn't finish earlier.”
Mount Airy (13-7) will face No. 2 seed West Wilkes in a semifinal game today at 5 p.m. at East Wilkes High School.
Top seed East Surry beat Elkin 24-0 Monday in three innings in a first-round game in Pilot Mountain. The Cardinals will face the East Wilkes-South Stokes winner at 7 p.m. at East Wilkes. East improved to 21-2 overall and is ranked No. 1 in N.C. Softball Coaches Association Class 1-A poll. Anna Mitchell earned the shut-out win for East.
Northwest 1-A softball tournament
First Round (at Mount Airy)
MOUNT AIRY 4, NORTH STOKES 1
North Stokes 000 100 0 1 3 2
Mount Airy 100 003 x 4 8 2
Jade Lawrence and McKenzie Collins. Kourtney Wagoner and Sarah Harris. WP - Wagoner. LP - Lawrence.
Leading hitters: Atkins 4-4, run; Hawks 1-3; Ballard 2-3; Wagoner 1-1, 3 walks; R. Harris 1-4, run.
Contact Mac Heffner at mheffner@mtairynews.com, or at 719-1921.
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| Boyd, Eagles shut down North Surry | Bears, Elks and Cards all qualify for 1-A state golf tourney |
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