NMB softball won two at Grand Strand Classic

By John Smithson

The North Myrtle Beach High School softball team spent part of their spring break at the Grand Strand Classic Tournament held last week at the NMB Sports Complex and finished the tournament with a 2-1 record.

The Lady Chiefs first game was last Monday against the Greenbriar Christian Academy Gators. The Chiefs won a wild one, 18-15. The Chiefs loaded the bases in the first inning but failed to score.

The Gators and the Chiefs then stayed scoreless until the top of the third inning when the Chiefs put a 5 on the scoreboard. Capri Laughlin reached first base on an error, and doubles by Sadie Olson and Hadley Leonhardt and a Sierra Bendik single gave the Chiefs a 3-0 lead. After Izzy Bruno struck out, a wild pitch and a single by Lilly Carney drove in Bendik. Faithlyn Lewis grounded out and Carolina Butler drove in Carney and the lead was 5-0.

The Gators scored a run in the bottom of the third on three singles. The Chiefs top of the fourth was another big inning. This time Laughlin tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Olson walked. Leonhardt singled with Olson taking third. Leonhardt went to second on defensive indifference. Bendik singled to right and Leonhardt and Olson scored for an 8-0 lead.

A Bruno walk and Carney double made it 10-0 as Bruno and Bendik scored. Lewis struck out, but Butler reached on an error. Carolina Porter singled and Carney scored the eleventh run. Singles by Olson and Leonhardt pushed the Chiefs lead to 13-1.

The Gators scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth with two outs. A couple of singles, two walks, a hit batter and wild pitches contributed to the 13-4 score after four innings.

The Chiefs were down in order in the top of the fifth, but the Gators used four Chiefs errors, two doubles and two singles to creep closer to the Chiefs, the score 13-11 after five innings.

The Chiefs failed to score in the top of the sixth. The Gators scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score13-13.

No problem. The Chiefs went back out in the top of the seventh and scored five times. The Gators made three errors in the inning to go along with a double by Carney, a Porter single, a walk, hit batsman and a passed ball. The Chiefs lead was 18-13. The Gators didn’t give up. They scored twice on three straight hits and a Chiefs error before Sierra Bendik struck out the final batter for an 18-15 Chiefs win.

Let’s see, 33 runs, 30 hits, total in the game, and six errors for each team. Eight earned runs given up by Bendik and Isabella Foster. The glass is either half full or half empty, but still good to win.

Game two of the Classic was last Thursday, this time against the South Range varsity Raiders. As often happens after a high-scoring game, it’s followed by a low scoring affair.  The Chiefs were outhit 9 to 3 but still won.

The Chiefs were down in order in the top of the first, while the Raiders opened their half of the first with a double, but the Chiefs relay to third made her the first out. Two walks in the inning after that but no runs.

Two singles and a Chiefs error got South Range on the scoreboard first and a 1-0 lead after three innings. The Chiefs had runners on in the fourth but couldn’t score.  The Raiders had two singles in the fourth but lost their lead runner when Olson caught her trying to steal.

The Chiefs were down in order in the fifth. The Raiders had runners on second and third when they made their third out in the bottom of the fifth. The Chiefs tied the game 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning. Butler grounded out and Porter singled to center. After Porter stole second and went to third on an error by the catcher, she scored on Laughlin’s grounder to second.

South Range got a runner to third in the bottom of the sixth with two out, but she was stranded. Neither team threatened in the seventh inning, so they went to extras. The Chiefs opened the eighth inning with Foster on second base by rule. Butler grounded a single to right and Foster came home for the Chiefs 2-1 lead.

The Raiders runner on second to start the bottom of the eighth was bunted to second but was called out on offensive interference and the Chiefs 2-1 lead held up for the win, which went to Bendik for her five innings of relief of starting pitcher Laughlin.

The Chiefs finished tournament play last Friday against Richlands High School from Richlands, Virginia. The Lady Blue Tornados, or Blues, scored two runs after two outs in the top of the first inning.

The Chiefs went ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the first inning. Porter tripled to center field and scored on Laughlin’s bunt single. Laughlin stole second and scored on a Carney double to left. Bruno drove in Carney with a single to right field for run number three.

The score remained 3-2 until the top of the sixth inning. The Blues scored four runs on four hits and three Chiefs errors to lead 6-3. The Chiefs failed to score in the sixth inning.

The Blues added two more runs in the top of the seventh inning and the Chiefs could only manage one run in the bottom of the seventh and lost 8-4.

The Chiefs returned to region play on Monday at St. James for their second game of that three-game series. The Chiefs lost 5-2 on March 13th to the Lady Sharks. Their third game was Wednesday at home.