Catcher Lily Thompson’s RBI triple in the seventh inning completed a comeback from three runs down for the Burke County Post 21 American Legion Lady junior softball team as it captured a 7-6 road victory over McDowell Post 56 at McDowell High School on Monday evening.
It marked the second time in three head-to-head contests this season — all wins by Post 21 — that Post 21 (7-6) rallied from three or more runs behind to beat McDowell.
Monday’s action was scheduled as a five-inning doubleheader until a pair of lengthy weather-related delays in the second and third innings convinced both teams to alter the format to a single seven-inning contest.
Post 21 seized a 1-0 lead when Finley Duvall tripled and Whitley Strange followed with a double with two outs in the top of the first.
But the hosts scored twice in their half of the first and second innings for a 4-1 edge before Thompson, who was serving as a courtesy runner for Paige Hennessee (single), came home off a Duvall two-out double to right-center to trim the gap to 4-2.
McDowell answered with another run in the third, and the teams traded runs again in the fourth as McDowell led 6-3 headed to the fifth.
With one out in the frame, Sophia Davis walked, and Duvall singled to move Davis to third. Strange then drew a walk as Davis came in to score on a double steal, and Duvall then stole third before scoring on a wild pitch to make it a 6-5 game.
Post 21 leadoff-hitting centerfielder Ava Hensley then doubled in the sixth and scored the tying run on a two-out wild pitch before Emma Fish walked and scored on Thompson’s two-out heroics in the seventh.
After SophiAnn Smith (1 2/3 IP, H, 4 ER, K) started in the circle and Fish (IP, ER, K) worked in relief, Strange came in and went the rest of the way to earn the win, throwing 4 1/3 innings of three-hit ball with seven strikeouts and no earned runs.
Duvall (3 for 3, walk, RBI, two runs, two SB) finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, and Fish (single, two walks, two runs, SB) also reached base in each plate appearance.
Other Post 21 hitting standouts were Thompson (2 for 3, two RBIs, run), Davis (two walks, run), and Strange (single, walk, RBI).
Post 21 drew six walks while issuing 14 as a team and committed the game’s only error but outhit the hosts by a 9-4 margin.
Post 21 concludes the regular season against Shelby Post 82 at Patton High School on July 6 at 6 p.m.
Sr. legion swept by Rutherford
The Post 21 senior legion softball squad (3-6) was swept emphatically by visiting Rutherford County Post 423 at Patton on June 25, falling back to three games under .500 after having been on the other end of a home sweep just two days prior.
Post 21 fell by scores of 10-0 in five innings and 8-0 in four innings, managing just a Maddy Hudson fifth-inning infield single in game one.
Post 21 did not draw a walk in the doubleheader, as Rutherford tossed a perfect game in the nightcap after also facing the minimum (Hudson was retired via a game-ending double play) in the opening contest.
Makenzie Powell pitched all five innings in game one before Strange (6 H, 6 R, K) and Harper Best (2 H, 2 R, K) tossed two innings apiece in the second game.
Post 21 visits West Wilkes High School to face Wilkes County Post 31 on July 7 before ending the regular season at home against Caldwell County Post 29 on July 8.
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