Girls softball splits with Hartsville and St. James

By John Smithson

The NMB Lady Chiefs beat Hartsville last Wednesday 12-4 in a non-region game before losing to St. James last Friday 5-2 in their first 6AAAAA region game.

Sierra Bendik got the night started with a quick three outs in the top of the first inning against the Red Foxes. Hadley Leonhardt singled to left and Bendik hit a grounder to third. The Hartsville throw to second failed to get Leonhardt and both runners were safe.

Lilly Carney singled to right and scored Leonhardt with Bendik to second. Izzy Bruno’s ground ball out to second moved the runners up a base and Sadie Olson scored Bendik on a single to left. Faithlyn Lewis singled to right to score Olson and Carney and the Chiefs had a 4-0 lead after one inning.

Hartsville got two runs back in the top of the second after one out. A walk and single put runners on second and third after the throw to third failed to get the runner from first. A single to center scored two runs and it was 2-2.

The Chiefs came right back in the bottom of the second with three more runs. After a Mairead Olson groundout Leonhardt walked, Bendik singled to left and after a Carney flyout Bruno singled to drive in Bendik and Leonhardt.

Sadie Olson walked, Lewis singled to load the bases and Carolina Porter was hit by a pitch to score the Chiefs seventh run and 7-2 lead after two innings. After a scoreless top of the third, Bendik hit a home run to center for an 8-2 Chiefs lead.

Hartsville scored a run on two hits in the top of the fourth and the Chiefs got that run back on a double by Bruno, error and fielder’s choice by Hartsville on a Lewis ground out and 9-3 lead.

Hartsville hit a homer off of Bendik in the top of the fifth for their final run of the game. The Chiefs added three runs in the bottom of the sixth on a Bruno hit, walk to Lewis, two hit batsmen and two Hartsville errors.

Bendik retired the Red Foxes in order in the top of the seventh inning to close out the Chiefs 12-4 victory. Bendik got the win and struck out seven in the game. She also hit a homer, had four hits and scored three runs. Bruno had three hits and 2 RBIs and Lewis two hits and 3 RBIs.

Last Friday the Chiefs traveled to St. James for their first region game. They faced one of the best pitchers in the region in Raegan Tibbitts and she shut the Chiefs out for five- and one-half innings until the Chiefs got a double by Lilly Carney and a homer to left by Bruno for two runs on two of the four hits by the Chiefs. Tibbits also struck out 15 Chiefs and walked one batter in her winning performance on the rubber.

The Lady Sharks offense had three hits and two runs in the first inning, a run on two hits in the third, and two runs in the bottom of the fourth on three hits and a walk.

The Chiefs are taking on Conway this week with a game at Conway Monday, home on Wednesday and home tomorrow night back at Conway.