BOILING SPRINGS — Crest softball coach Greg Earl warned his team that nothing comes easy in the postseason.
Knocked on their heels early in their NCHSAA 5A West second round matchup with Northwest Cabarrus, the Chargers awakened to take a 9-5 win May 8 in Boiling Springs.
“These girls don’t quit, even when they are down; they just fight,” Earl said. “They support each other, and against a good opponent with strong pitching and a solid lineup, we just kept battling. I applaud them for not giving in when things got difficult.”
Before Crest could settle in, the Chargers found themselves in a 3-0 hole. Following a strikeout to start the game, Northwest Cabarrus earned three hits in a row, capped by a Haylee Ellis home run.
Crest bats awakened in the third, starting a run in which the Chargers scored in each of their last four at bats. Maddie Bowen led by going 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs, while Allie Summers (RBI, two runs), Madison Crocker (two RBIs, run) and Cooper Lancaster (double, run) added two hits apiece.
Nevertheless, Crest had to rev things up a notch in its final at bat to advance. After an Ella Webb two-run homer drew Northwest Cabarrus even at 5-all, the Chargers answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away.
Lily Pruett led things off with a walk, with Allie Summers reaching by way of an error following an infield pop-fly for the inning’s first out. Bowen, Crocker and Sage McCurry followed with RBI base hits, putting the Chargers in front for good.
“I think the biggest thing for us was adjusting to their pitching,” Earl said. “(Ellis) is a talented pitcher, but once we settled in, we were able to get some good hits on her.”
After a rough first inning, Pruett allowed two runs on five hits over the final six innings. ‘(Pruett) did a good job in the circle, but a big part of that was our defense really helped her out,” the Crest skipper added.
The fifth-ranked Chargers advance to take on No. 13 West Rowan, which earned a 1-0 victory at North Buncombe. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., May 12.
The Crest baseball team also earned a spot in Round 3, the third-ranked Chargers earning a 6-1 win over Northwest Cabarrus.
Luke Rayfield was 2-for-3 with a triple, home run and five RBIs, along with five strikeouts in 1 ⅔ innings pitched. Hudson Lund earned two hits, in addition to allowing no runs on two hits with eight strikeouts in 5 ⅓ innings.
Crest hosts No. 6 East Lincoln in an NCHSAA 5A West third-round matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 12.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Crest softball, baseball down Northwest Cabarrus in NCHSAA playoffs