South Lenoir Blue Devils Hold Off East Duplin Panthers in Thrilling Conference Win

Mar 15

Mar 15 South Lenoir Blue Devils Hold Off East Duplin Panthers in Thrilling Conference Win

South Lenoir Blue Devils Hold Off East Duplin Panthers in Thrilling Conference Win

In a thrilling conference matchup on Friday night in Deep Run, the South Lenoir Blue Devils edged out the East Duplin Panthers in a back-and-forth softball game. South Lenoir looked firmly in control early, jumping out to a 4-0 lead, but the Panthers mounted a late rally, scoring two runs in the top of the sixth inning.

The Blue Devils responded in dramatic fashion, adding four runs in the bottom of the sixth to seize a commanding 8-2 lead. East Duplin fought back in the seventh, scoring four more runs to pull within striking distance, but their comeback fell short as they ran out of steam.

Jade Sasnett earned the win for South Lenoir, throwing 6.1 innings while allowing four hits and four runs. She struck out seven and issued no walks. Callie Tyndall came on in relief to pick up the final two crucial outs, allowing three hits, two runs, and striking out two.

At the plate, leadoff hitter Lily Cole delivered a clutch performance, going 1-for-4 with three RBIs. Her bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the sixth was the game’s defining moment, providing the Blue Devils with the cushion they needed. Tyndall also contributed offensively, going 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Kellynn Swinson chipped in with one hit and two RBIs.

Head coach Madison Harvey praised her team’s performance on both sides of the ball. “I’m definitely pleased with the way they played tonight. Offensively, we played really well and capitalized when we got runners on base,” Harvey said. “Defensively, we really stepped up. We’ve struggled in that area this season, but tonight, I think we proved we’re ready to go.”

Cole reflected on her pivotal hit, saying, “Right before I went up, I had Jared Sasnett and my dad telling me to think backside... and that’s exactly what I did.”

With the win, the Blue Devils improve to 3-3 on the season, bouncing back from a 5-1 loss to North Duplin in their previous outing. South Lenoir will look to build on this momentum with a busy week ahead, hosting Midway on Monday, North Duplin on Wednesday, and traveling to Southwest Onslow for another conference showdown on Friday.