BOILING SPRINGS, S.C. – Friday night marked the end of a busy week for two area softball teams as the Boiling Springs Bulldogs hosted the Chapman Panthers at Bulldog Park. A late surge was the difference in this one, as the Panthers claimed a 7-1 victory over the Bulldogs, sweeping the season series.
The two starting pitchers – Boiling Springs’ Chloe Sloand and Chapman’s Reagan Garrett – combined to strike out seven batters and yield one hit apiece through the first two frames. Both hurlers continued to control the game from the circle, as the game remained a scoreless stalemate through five innings. Garrett was hit by a pitch to begin the sixth inning for the Panthers, which was followed by a Sophie Whitley double to left centerfield. Kayla Hardin (courtesy runner for Garrett) crossed home plate on a Rylan Ivey single to center. Ivey scored on a Sam McPhail single to center, which gave Chapman a 2-0 lead. “I took the first pitch I saw (in the sixth),” said Ivey. “We were not chasing after pitches and were being selective with our hitting. I knew that my teammates had my back. This game is a big confidence booster for us.” “I just relaxed more at the plate,” McPhail added. “I wanted to start off hitting early with the first pitch. I wanted to be there for my team. Especially after (Thursday at Travelers Rest), we realized that we can still work as a team, and it has given us more confidence for after spring break.” Autumn Fisher led off the seventh for Chapman with a solo home run to straightaway center. Garrett, Whitley, Ivey, and McPhail then rattled off four base hits in succession, as Hardin sprinted home on Ivey’s single, while Paisleigh Smith (courtesy runner for Whitley) scored on an error. Ivey touched home plate on a wild pitch, while McPhail rounded the bases on a Fisher base hit to center and created a 7-0 Panther lead. “I think we all came together as a team and made some team plays,” Fisher stated. “We had somebody start it off and everyone else fell in line behind them. We were just waiting for our pitch, not chasing, and playing our own game.” “It was (about) getting some confidence that they could hit the ball,” said Chapman head coach Casey Green. “Nothing changed other than they started believing in themselves. It was super important for us to come back (after Thursday) for this win and to finally produce some runs.” The Bulldogs attempted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, as Cloey Taulbee came around to score when Brooklyn Harrill reached on an error. A strikeout moments later brought the game to an end, with the final margin of 7-1. Fisher paced the Panthers, as she was 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs batted in. Ivey was 2-for-4 with a run batted in and two runs scored, while Garrett notched two hits in three at bats. McPhail also went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two runs batted in, while Whitley finished 2-for-3 with a double. In the circle, Garrett allowed just two hits and struck out six batters. Boiling Springs will return to action on Monday, April 8th, when they host Riverside at 7:30 PM. Next up for Chapman (10-4) is a Region 3-3A matchup at Blue Ridge on Friday, April 12th. The game is slated to begin at approximately 7:30 PM. Comments are closed.
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