BOILING SPRINGS, S.C. – Determination. That’s what it took to ensure that three Boiling Springs seniors – Morgan Hammett, Bri McAbee, and Trey Copeland – played and got a win in their last regular season home game on Friday evening at Bulldog Park after a steady rain across the Upstate over the last 48 hours.
Boiling Springs also recognized Chapman’s two seniors, Sarah Byrd and Abby Gossett, during the pregame festivities. The Lady Bulldogs played host to the crosstown rival Chapman Panthers in a return game from the start of the season. One big inning proved to be the catalyst, as Boiling Springs claimed a 20-10 victory over the Panthers in five innings. “This morning, a couple of the other coaches and I were out here,” explained Boiling Springs head coach Hannah McDowell. “We were going to do whatever it took to make it happen for these seniors because they are so special to this program. We just knew that we had to have a home game to honor them.” While there was a lot of scoring throughout the game, the third inning became the difference maker for both teams. A Sam McPhail double and Alexis Floyd single put runners on the corners with one out for Chapman in the top of the third inning. Both runners came around to score on a throwing error, which put the Panthers in front. Hailey Coley scored on an Autumn Fisher base hit, while a Sarah Byrd groundout brought in Fisher and an Abby Gossett single plated Krislyn Wilder for a 10-6 Chapman lead. Boiling Springs responded in their half of the inning by sending 15 players up to bat while scoring 12 runs. Consecutive singles and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases for the Bulldogs with one out. Three straight base hits – one apiece by Copeland, Bri Stanley, and Chloe Osteen – brought home a run, while Abbie Wilson walked and later scored on a Chole Sloand bases-loaded walk for a 13-10 Bulldog lead. Sydnee Spencer also singled and plated another run, while the big hit of the frame was a two-run triple to right by Hammett, followed by a Copeland RBI groundout that made it an eight-run advantage for Boiling Springs. “That’s another lesson we’ve learned as a team is to take everything one at-bat at a time,” stated McDowell about the third inning. “We were not blasting home runs by any means, but we were getting one hit at a time and creating chaos, which is the whole philosophy of what we do. I think (this game) puts a lot of confidence in our defense that behind different pitchers, we can defend and hit behind them.” Later in the fifth inning, Sloand recorded another base hit to put a runner on with only one out. Three pitches later, Spencer sent a 2-0 offering over the wall in straightaway center to provide the final margin of victory for Boiling Springs, securing the win on Senior Night. For the Bulldogs, all three seniors – Hammett, Copeland, and McAbee – went 2-for-4 at the plate and combined for five runs batted in on the night, while six other Bulldogs recorded at least one RBI. “I think the biggest quality about our seniors is that they just have big hearts,” McDowell exclaimed. “That bleeds all throughout the team. I think that the compassion and heart they have left out on this field is going to leave a legacy for (the program) way after they graduate.” For Chapman, Gossett led the way with three hits in four at-bats and two runs batted in. Fisher, Wilder, and Whitley also tallied two hits and one RBI apiece, along with two runs driven in by Byrd. Both teams will now shift their focus towards the postseason next week as Boiling Springs (11-7) prepares for a road game to begin the 5A district playoffs while Chapman (18-5) hosts a home matchup to open the 3A district playoffs. Further information on the respective playoff matchups was not available at the time this story was published. Comments are closed.
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