CHESNEE, SC - The Chesnee Eagles softball team picked up a 1-0 win over the rival Landrum Cardinals on Friday night that had massive region implications.
"This is a huge win for us as these hard-fought wins help bring us closer together as a team," said Chesnee's Bella Rollins. " It just makes our bond stronger." "I'm proud of the way they played tonight as this was a tough-minded game," said Chesnee head coach Tripp Fogle. "Neither team deserved to lose tonight. Both teams fought their guts out, and we are glad we came out on the winning end." The win helped the Eagles edge one step closer to a fourth consecutive region title as they now hold three series wins over the other teams in region play. The Eagles now need to win one game or have Landrum suffer a region loss to lock up the region title. The game was a true pitcher's duel as Chesnee eighth grader Bella Rollins picked up the win and limited the Cardinals to just three hits while only allowing one Cardinal to reach second base all night. She also struck out seven Cardinal batters. "To see a young pitcher step up like that was impressive," said Fogle. "We have been emphasizing to both of our pitchers to locate their pitches. Nobody on our side was surprised by her performance." Rollins is one half of what is possibly the youngest battery in the state as she worked in harmony with eighth grade catcher Ansley Blanton. She also got several stellar defensive plays behind her, highlighted by Blanton's throwing out of a runner attempting to steal second base to end the game, along with Delani Wright's diving grab at second base on a line drive that turned into a double play in the fourth inning, as she was able to throw behind the runner at first. "It means a lot to have them behind me," said Rollins. "I know they will have my back and be there to pick me up when I need them." The Cardinals lone threat came in the top of the first inning as Sydney Price drew a one out walk and later stole second base, but Rollins got a strikeout and an infield popup to end the threat. The Eagles put runners on in each of the first two innings as Harley Grady drew a walk in the first inning, and Natalie Morris hit a single in the second inning, but the Eagles were unable to advance either runner. In the bottom of the third inning, the Eagles called upon their young sister act duo of Loren Potter and Claire Owens, as ninth grader Loren Potter drew a leadoff walk and after a steal along with an Abby Fogle sacrifice, she was on third with one out. "It was great feeling knowing that I was able to come up big for our team when we needed a spark," said Loren Potter. Potter's sister, eighth grader Claire Owens stepped into the box next and drove a single through the infield to drive in what proved to be the winning run. "It's funny how situations work out as I'm at the bottom of the lineup and she is the leadoff hitter," said Potter. "It's always fun when I see her come up to bat when I'm on base." Jada Sellars hit a two out single in the fourth inning and later stole second but was left stranded. The Eagles had what looked to be a golden opportunity in the bottom of the sixth inning as they had runners on second and third bases with two outs after Skylar Barrett and Delani Wright drew one out walks. Chesnee came inches away from taking a 3-0 lead as Jada Sellars hit a pop up near the right field line that was that was ruled just foul. Landrum also got a stellar pitching performance from Sydney Price, as she pitched a complete game while only surrendering the one run. She scattered three hits while striking out seven. The stellar performances for Chesnee started before the game even started as Liana Kreydich sang a beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner before taking the field with her teammates. "It feels really good to be of use to my team," said Kreydich. "Whether that is singing before the game, cheering in the dugout, or contributing on the field. It feels good knowing that I can help contribute to this team." The Eagles will be back in action on Monday as they host Boiling Springs at 6:00 PM. Comments are closed.
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