North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By John Smithson
The North Myrtle Beach High School Lady Chiefs softball team opened their season last week with a trip to Loris for their annual preseason tournament. The Chiefs first game was postponed due to Friday’s rain, and they opened play on Saturday against Green Sea Floyds.
The Chiefs were the home team in their game against the Trojans and both teams failed to score through the first four innings of play. Green Sea scored a run in the top of the fifth inning for a 1-0 lead and held on to that lead until the bottom of the seventh inning.
Capri Laughlin’s hit set up a game-winning walk off home run by Hadley Leonhardt and the Chiefs first win of the season.
The Chiefs Sierra Bendik pitched for the Chiefs and gave up one run on three hits and struck out seven with no walks. Bendik also had three of the Chiefs nine hits in the game. Izzy Bruno and Leonhardt had two hits apiece.
On Monday the Chiefs finished their tournament play with two games at Loris. They opened the day with a 5-4 win over Georgetown. The Lady Bulldogs scored three runs in the top of the first inning and added a run in the fourth.
The Chiefs scored two runs in the bottom of the first and third innings and a winning run in the bottom of the sixth for their second tournament victory. Sierra Bendik pitched four innings for the Chiefs and Laughlin pitched the last two innings.
Sadie Olson had two hits and two RBIs to lead the Chiefs offense in that game. Later Monday the Chiefs played Waccamaw and beat the Lady Warriors 12-4 with two first inning runs, six more runs in the bottom of the second, one run in the fourth and three runs in the fifth and final inning.
The Chiefs had fourteen hits in the game. Lilly Carney had two hits and four RBIs, Faithlyn Lewis also had two hits and three runs batted in. Other players with one RBI included Hadley Leonhardt, Capri Laughlin, Isabella Bruno, and Sadie Olson. Leonhardt scored three runs and Carney and Bruno scored two runs each.
Bendik and Isabella Foster shared the pitching with Bendik going three of the five innings.
Next game for the Lady Chiefs is March 11 at home against Hartsville at 6 p.m.
