Softball team 2-0 vs. Myrtle Beach

By John Smithson

The NMB Lady Chiefs softball team won the first two games of their series with Myrtle Beach last week.

The Chiefs were home last Monday night for their first game. The Lady Seahawks had runners on first and second with one out, but a 1-5-3 double play ended the top of the first with no damage by the visitors.

The Chiefs got the scoring started in the first with Carolina Porter drawing a walk and Capri Laughlin hit by a pitch, putting them on first and second.  A passed ball moved them to second and third. Sadie Olson grounded out to short and Porter scored with Laughlin taking third on the play. Laughlin scored when Lilly Carney grounded out for a 2-0 Chiefs lead after one inning.

Bendik struck out the side in the top of the second. Faithlynn Lewis walked to open the Chiefs second and Chloe Butler and Bendik singled to load the bases. Porter’s fly ball was misplayed, and she was safe on first with Lewis scoring.

After a Laughlin flyout Sadie Olson doubled to center and Bendik and Butler scored and Butler moved to third. Butler scored on an error by the pitcher and the Chiefs led 6-0 after two innings. Bendik struck out the side again in the top of the third inning

The Chiefs third began with a Butler double, then two outs. Laughlin kept the inning alive and singled to left and Butler scored. Sadie Olson then drove in Laughlin with her first home run of the game over the centerfield fence. The Chiefs lead was 9-0.

The Seahawks scored twice in the top of the fourth inning on three straight singles driving in one run, and a fielder’s choice groundout making it 9-2. In the Chiefs fourth a Hadley Leonhardt single, and an Izzy Bruno walk put two on. Both runners ended up on second and third by passed balls. Porter’s single to center drove in both for an 11-2 score.

Bendik struck out the side for the third time in the game in the top of the fifth. Olson was the first and only batter in the bottom of the fifth for the Chiefs. She lined a 3-1 pitch over the left-centerfield fence, and her second homer of the game was the ten-run rule clincher, a walk-off 12-2 victory.

Bendik got the win, struck out eleven and gave up the two runs in the fourth inning. Olson drove in six runs with three hits, two that cleared the fence.

The Chiefs were in Myrtle Beach last Wednesday for game two of the series and continued to feast on Seahawks pitching. Porter opened the game reaching second base on an error and went to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch. Laughlin singled and stole second. Sadie Olson doubled to left driving in Laughlin. Olson went to third on a passed ball and Carney walked. Carney stole second and Olson came home, with Carney moving to third.  Leonhardt reached on a ground ball and error at second that scored Carney for a 4-0 Chiefs lead. A Bruno single, Mairead Olson walk and Fielder’s choice grounder by Bendik scored the fifth Chiefs run of the top of the first.

The Seahawks scored a run in the bottom of the first off of Isabella Foster. A walk, hit by pitch, fielder’s choice grounder and sacrifice fly scored the run to make it 5-1.

Sadie Olson led off the top of the second with a home run to left. The Chiefs loaded the bases after that on two singles and a walk but couldn’t score another run.

Foster pitched out of minor trouble in the bottom of the second and the Chiefs put the game away in the top of the third.

A Laughlin double with one out was followed by an intentional walk to Sadie Olson. Carney’s single drove in Laughlin, and Olson and Carney moved up on the throw. Olson scored on a wild pitch and Carney went to third. Leonhardt walked and Bruno walked to load the bases.

Mairead Olson singled and three runs scored on the throw from center and error at third for an 11-1 score. Olson stole third and stayed there on a single by Bendik. An error in left field on Porter’s fly ball scored Olson, and Bendik went to third and Porter to second for a 12-1 score. Sadie Olson drove in Bendik for a 13-1 lead after the top of the third.

Ravyn Kiser came in to pitch the bottom of the third for the Chiefs and hit a batter. A Chiefs error and a single and double by the Seahawks scored two runs before Kiser settled down and retired three batters in a row for a 13-3 score.

Neither team scored in the fourth and the Chiefs used a Seahawks error and singles by Porter and Lewis to add their 14th run of the game in the top of the fifth. Myrtle Beach failed to score in the bottom of the fifth and the Chiefs won game two 14-3.

The Chiefs were home on Monday for the third and final game of the Myrtle Beach series. It was senior night.