Gators squander 4-run lead in sixth, fall to Rebels in softball

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 2, 2015 11:16 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

CALYPSO -- North Duplin dangled on the hook for 51/2 innings Saturday afternoon.

It finally wiggled free and swam to safety in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Three infield errors helped the Rebels erase a four-run deficit and turn back Spring Creek, 5-4, in a pivotal Carolina 1-A Conference softball affair. North Duplin (11-1-1 overall) remained unbeaten in nine league outings this season and stayed in position to claim the program's first conference championship since 1991 when North Carolina schools still played the slow-pitch game.

"We were real fortunate," first-year North Duplin head coach Ricky Edwards.

Lucky, indeed.

Facing their first loss against a league opponent, the Rebels staged a stirring sixth-inning comeback. Winning pitcher Rylee Pate led off with a single and scored on Haley Brogden's double -- a two-strike screwball -- into the left-center field.

North Duplin loaded the bases when Edwards signaled for Courtney Brock to bunt. The ball bounced toward SC pitcher Rachel McCollum, who fielded it on her belly and tossed it to catcher Alanna Price.

Price couldn't handle the throw and two runs scored to tie the game at 4-4.

"Well, it wasn't a squeeze and coach thought it was the right thing to do, and if he thinks it's the right thing to do -- he's old enough and smart enough -- so we went along with it," Brogden said.

"It worked out like it was supposed to."

Another infield error enabled North Duplin to push ahead 5-4.

But Spring Creek (9-3 overall, 6-3 CC) had one more shot in the seventh. Pate, who entered the game with a microscopic 0.51 earned run average (ERA), recorded two quick outs.

Sarah Ford singled and Pate intentionally walked the next two batters -- McCollum and Price. She induced a short pop-up back to the mound to end the game.

"Only if it works, it's good strategy," Edwards said of the consecutive four-pitch walks.

The Gators built a 4-0 lead through five innings.

Price slapped a two-strike double off the left-field wall to score McCollum, who reached on a single. Four innings later, Price deposited a three-run home run over the left-center field fence.

It was Price's third dinger of the year.

"They hit the ball better against us than anyone, they're a good team," Edwards said.

McCollum kept North Duplin silent through five innings. The right-hander permitted three hits and retired eight Rebels on strikeouts. Edwards' club stranded three runners in scoring position during that stretch.

Pate settled down and logged six consecutive outs after Price's homer. The next batter to reach was Ford, who had struck out each time in her previous three at-bats.

SC had six hits on the day.

"We hit it as good as we could ask from them, put it in play," Boltinhouse said. "I feel very comfortable that we surprised some people today. We went all the way to the bottom of the sixth.

"When you've got two good teams like these going up against each other, it all comes down to a couple of hits or a couple of errors every time."

The teams combined to score eight unearned runs.