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The North Stanly softball team had not taken on Friday’s opponent since the 2022 2A playoffs. On the road that season, the Comets lost at the Bandys Trojans.

Two years later, the Comets, the No. 2 seed in the 2A West Region, hosted No. 15 Bandys and shut out the visitors 7-0 in the second-round match.

Bre Speight paced the offense for North (18-3-1), going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Kylie Speight added two hits and two RBIs, while Makaylah Barger was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Leah Isenhour also added two hits for the Comets.

In the circle, freshman pitcher Sophia Crist (5 IP) and Kylie Speight combined for the two-hit shutout. Crist struck out 13 in five innings, allowing one hit, while Speight struck out two in the final two frames.

North head coach Phillip Speight said he was impressed with the way North hit in the game, saying the Comets “barrelled a lot of pitches up tonight.”

He said the team’s attitude and energy “was also a huge factor.”

North Stanly will host No. 25 Madison Tuesday night. The Patriots, on the road Friday night, won at No. 7 Brevard 13-1.