West Stanly softball reaches Elite Eight with road win

Published 10:44 pm Wednesday, May 5, 2021

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The No. 8 seeded Colts handed the Panthers the team’s first loss of the season while staying undefeated with a 9-1 win.

Jordan Hatch earned her 16th win on the mound for the 16-0 Colts, allowing one earned run on five hits with three walks and nine strikeouts.

Leadoff hitter Rachel Efird had a big night for West going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. Carmen McRae added three hits, including a solo home run, while Ashlyn Hughes and Lillian Hartsell each drove in two runs.

Efird and Hughes put the Colts up for good in the top of the second with a pair of two-RBI doubles in a four-run inning.

West added three runs in the third, including Hartsell’s two-RBI single.

The Colts will travel to No. 4 West Wilkes Friday night for a third-round matchup. The Blackhawks (16-0) advanced with a 4-3 win over No. 5 Smoky Mountain.

About Charles Curcio

Charles Curcio has served as the sports editor of the Stanly News & Press for more than 16 years and has written numerous news and feature storeis as well. He was awarded the NCHSAA Tim Stevens Media Representative of the Year and named CNHI Sports Editor of the Year in 2014. He has also won an award from Boone Newspapers, and has won four North Carolina Press Association awards.

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