Batgirl Charlotte Nielsen hustles back to the North Duplin dugout with a bat and catcher’s gear in tow Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Addy Higginbotham attempts a seventh-inning bunt that resulted in an out during action against county rival East Duplin on Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
After recording an out at second base, North Duplin shortstop Reece Outlaw fires the relay throw to first base in an attempt to get the double play against East Duplin on Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin catcher Kasey Jones, right, applies the tag to an East Duplin runner who was called safe during seventh-inning action Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
After playing five games in a seven-day period, North Duplin heads into spring break with a 9-3 worksheet after an 8-4 loss to county rival East Duplin on Wednesday evening. The Rebels entertain Eastern Wayne next Monday in the second annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes Crossover tournament. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin right-hander Lilly Fulghum fires a pitch toward the plate against East Duplin on Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin second baseman Addy Higginbotham bobbles the ball at second base after East Duplin’s Hannah Perry touches the bag Wednesday evening. Perry was called out. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin catcher checks her armband after getting the play-call number from head coach Jaime Kylis on Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
North Duplin’s Iala Overton waits for the pitch during her first at-bat against East Duplin on Wednesday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — North Duplin appeared poised to stage a late-inning comeback against county rival East Duplin on the softball diamond Wednesday evening.
The Panthers didn’t let it happen.
Neyland Tart sparked a four-run uprising with a lead-off single that all but sealed an 8-4 victory over the Rebels. The road win avenged an earlier home shutout loss to the Rebels in mid-March.
“This is a good challenge to have so that we can go back to the drawing board next week for practice and kind of work out those kinks,” second-year ND head coach Jaime Kylis said. “Good teams expose weaknesses and we had some exposed tonight. We need to work on some defensive miscues.”
East Duplin (10-3) put the lead-off runner on base via either a hit or walk, during every inning. That allowed the perennial East Central 2A power to execute its bunt-and-run game to near perfection.
The Panthers touched Rebel right-hander Lilly Fulghum for 11 hits, including six extra-base knocks. They drew three walks and benefited from an error.
“There’s only so much a defense can do, and unfortunately, we kind of gave them a few bags that we don’t normally do,” Kylis said. “Our defense, I think, held their own when they needed to and I think we had a couple of close calls that went either way as it did for the other team.
“That’s just the stigma of a good game.”
North Duplin (9-3) fell behind 4-0.
East Duplin plated two first-inning runs on back-to-back RBI doubles by Kinsley Bond and Addison Tuck. Chandler Mobley slugged a two-RBI home run over the left-center field fence.
Reece Outlaw’s two-out “un”intentional walk sparked a two-run, third-inning surge for the Rebels. The junior moved into scoring position on Fulghum’s single and third.
Catcher Kasey Jones knocked in both runs with a base hit.
M’chelle Jaco connected on a one-out double into the gap and scampered home on Iala Overton’s single.
The Rebels trailed 5-3 after four innings.
“I think our hitters did good, but a brighter spot is [we’re] starting to see kids in the bottom [of the lineup] … M’chelle and Aby Spence are giving us a little bit of a boost,” Kylis said. “We tried to hide a couple that are working through some things and it’s unfortunate that they weren’t able to work through it.
“I think our lineup is doing just fine.”
Clinging to a 5-4 lead, East Duplin seized command in the seventh.
Tart scored on Stokes’ RBI triple. Stokes easily scored on Bond’s base hit and Tuck drove in Bond. Fulghum settled down and forced the Panthers to leave the bases loaded.
“That just sucked the wind out of us,” Kylis said.
A junior southpaw, Tuck yielded four earned runs on six hits, walked three and logged four strikeouts in the scorebook. She retired eight consecutive Rebels before issuing a one-out walk to Overton in the bottom of the seventh.
Jaco paced North Duplin with two hits. Overton, Outlaw, Fulghum and Jones recorded one hit apiece.
The Rebels get a much-needed, relaxing spring break after playing three consecutive games and five overall in the past seven days. They entertain Eastern Wayne next Monday in the second annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes Crossover tournament. Game time is 6 p.m.
James Kenan faces Wayne Christian at 4 p.m.
