North Duplin players listen to head softball coach Jaime Kylis during their post-game huddle after a 9-5 loss to East Columbus in game one of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional championship series Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
A standing-room-only crowd viewed game one of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional finals between North Duplin and East Columbus on Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Seating was limited as North Duplin fans found spots beside the Rebels’ dugout Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin shortstop Reece Outlaw celebrates in the background as teammate Addy Higginbotham tags out East Columbus’ Kamora Bryant on a pick-off play at second base Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Kasey Jones kicks up some dirt at first base after she reached on a sixth-inning error against East Columbus. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin pitcher Lilly Fulghum, middle, watches as first baseman Ady Spence snares a high throw to record an out against East Columbus on Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
An East Columbus player beats the tag by North Duplin catcher Kasey Jones at the plate on an errant pitch during their game in Calypso Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Addy Higginbotham, right, high-fives center fielder M’chelle Jaco during team introductions before the National Anthem Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
A crazy throw gets away from North Duplin third baseman Riley Hatch during middle-inning action against East Columbus on Tuesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — Each time North Duplin endured a loss on the softball diamond this season, it rebounded in convincing fashion.This time, however, a little more is on the line.
The Rebels fell 9-5 to East Columbus in game one of the N.C High School Athletic Association Class 1A eastern regional championship series Tuesday evening.
Seeded 10th, the Gators can clinch a state championship berth with a win Thursday in Lake Waccamaw. A loss keeps the fourth-seeded Rebels (21-3) alive and forces a “winner-take-all” game Saturday in Calypso.
First pitch is 7 p.m.
“We just didn’t have our best effort, but we’ll bring it on Thursday,” ND head coach Jaime Kylis said. “We’ll re-adjust, go through some things tomorrow [today] at practice and clean up some things.”
Kylis scouted EC last week.
She took copious notes, particularly on Karli Godwin. The senior entered the contest with 20 home runs, including four in the postseason.
Godwin drew four intentional walks which led to boos and a “let her hit” chant from boisterous EC fans each time she stepped up to the plate.
“I’m playing to win,” Kylis said. “So, I’m going to try and take out the biggest offensive threats. It just so happened to be she wasn’t our threat tonight. It was everybody else.
“We were leaving balls over the white [of the plate] and that’s something we just can’t do.”
East Columbus — rather Jenna King — broke a scoreless tie in the third. The freshman crushed a solo home run that easily cleared the center-field fence.
Five batters later, freshman Kamora Bryant drilled a pitch deep to left field that appeared to be a foul ball. The third-base umpire signaled it landed in fair territory over the fence and the dugout cleared in celebration.
The Gators led 7-0.
Junior shortstop Reece Outlaw put North Duplin on the board with her 12th home run of the season in the fourth inning. The East Carolina commit increased her career total to 16 and boosted the team total — currently a single-season record — to 34 during the program’s fast-pitch era.
The Gators (27-2) increased their advantage to 9-2 on another home run, this one by Chynna Patrick, in the sixth.
The Rebels closed the gap to 9-5, but could get no closer.
“We’re young,” Kylis said. “Lilly’s [Fulghum] a freshman. This is probably the biggest moment she’s pitched in during her career as a pitcher. When you’re a young kid and you haven’t had that moment, you carry it [the game] yourself.
“So, she’s got to learn to let the team carry [the game] and that’s something we’ve been working on.”
Fulghum surrendered nine earned runs on six hits and eight walks. She filed five strikeouts in the scorebook. Offensively, she produced two hits along with Outlaw.
Riley Hatch, Addy Higginbotham, Kasey Jones and M’chelle Jaco supplied one hit apiece. First baseman Ady Spence recorded seven putouts, while Outlaw and catcher Kasey Jones each had five.
“We knew we were going to come up against someone who was going to challenge us,” Kylis said. “Hopefully we will do a little better job of handling this on Thursday. This is the best thing to happen to us.
“I think those who have seen us play all season, the minute you put us up against the wall, they come out fighting. I expect to see a different team Thursday, for sure.”
