Gators trail early, cruise past Eagles in softball

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on April 23, 2015 1:49 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Two outs.

Two runners on board.

A two-strike count.

Shayla Marak drilled a waist-high fastball into the left-center field gap and just like that, Rosewood owned a 2-0 lead over county rival Spring Creek.

It was just the top of the first inning, though.

"It was a wake-up call," Spring Creek head coach Lester Boltinhouse said. "It seems like all during the year that's what has happened, but they always respond to it every time ... they get that momentum and go."

Go, indeed.

The Gators scored six of the game's final seven runs -- including a two-run homer by Rachel McCollum -- and claimed a pivotal, 8-3 victory on the Carolina 1-A Conference softball scene Wednesday evening. The Gators (9-1 overall, 6-1 CC) trail league-leading North Duplin by one-half game heading into their Saturday afternoon showdown in Calypso.

Rosewood (5-5) departed 4-2 against league opposition.

The Eagles could muster little offense against McCollum, who allowed just three base runners after the first inning and logged 11 strikeouts inside the pitcher's circle. Rosewood's defense also committed seven errors which led to five unearned runs.

"It comes down to fundamentals, what I have preached all year," RHS head coach Shay Campbell said. "They've got to throw, they've got to catch and they've got to want to make plays. We're inexperienced in a couple of positions ... young players on the team that have got to learn to step up, this is high school ball, not middle school.

"They've got to step up and make plays, and they're capable of doing it because I've seen them do it in practice."

Spring Creek tied the game at 2-2 in the second on an infield throwing error and Samantha Crouch's RBI single up the middle. Rosewood moved back ahead 3-2 on Callie Thornton's RBI groundout in the third, but the Eagles wouldn't threaten again.

McCollum retired 13 of the final 15 batters she faced. The senior right-hander had a stellar defense behind her -- shortstop Ashley Marriner stopped two ground balls from rolling into the outfield, left fielder Daisy Martinez made an over-the-shoulder catch and Crouch -- while on her belly -- threw a runner out at first.

"They never cease to amaze me with what they can do," Boltinhouse said.

McCollum swatted her eighth homer of the season in the third inning, while Martinez provided an RBI single. The Gators plated runs in the fourth and fifth innings on two wild pitches, and a dropped fly ball in the outfield.