CALYPSO — North Duplin finally scratched that nagging seven-year itch — via the long ball — Friday evening.
Three Rebels — Lilly Fulghum, Kasey Jones and Riley Hatch — each smacked a home run during their 25-0, second-round shellacking of Weldon in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A softball playoffs.
They earned a third-round postseason trip for the first time since 2016 when they finished as eastern runner-up.
Whose next?
Four Rivers runner-up Riverside Martin (19-5 overall) comes calling Tuesday evening. First pitch is 6 p.m.
Addy Higginbotham and Reece Outlaw cranked out four hits apiece, including a combined four extra-base knocks. Each drove in two runs, while Higginbotham claimed the team’s lone stolen base.
Jones (two RBI), Ady Spence and No. 9 batter Iala Overton (three RBI) each supplied three hits in the mercy-rule affair. Sarah Tucker batted 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Fulghum (two RBI), Hatch (two RBI) and M’chelle Jaco (RBI) had one hit each. Fulghum and Jones drilled back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Hatch belted a solo shot in the fourth.
Fourth-seeded North Duplin (19-2) sent 13 batters to the plate in first inning and quickly invoked the mercy rule with a 10-run uprising.
Fulghum dominated inside the circle. The right-hander retired seven Chargers on strikeouts, walked two and surrendered two hits. She allowed four base runners.
