(4) Midway conquers 2A East softball regional with victory over (6) North Johnston
At long last, there is reason to holler in Spiveys Corner.
Fans came out in droves to witness the end of an eight-day long softball trilogy that saw Midway claim its first regional championship since 2010.
Behind the bat of Mallory Baggett and the arm of Sarah Autry, the Raiders punched the state’s final ticket to this weekend’s state championship series with a 5-4 victory over North Johnston.
The two sides traded victories last Tuesday and Thursday in games one and two of the best-of-three series. With home field advantage shifting back to Sampson County, the skies opened up postponing the decisive third contest multiple times.
While there was no rain, there would be early thunder as the Midway offense built an insurmountable lead with a pair of crooked numbers in its first three trips to the plate.
Scoreless in the bottom of the second, Baggett connected on a 2-1 offering and slammed it over the fence for her sixth home run of the season and an early 2-0 advantage.
After North Johnston cut its deficit in half on a Camden Ford run-scoring ground out, the Raiders responded with two more runs to lead 4-1 after three.
With the bases loaded and Baggett back up to the plate, North Johnston coaxed a ground ball to shortstop Samantha Gliantiz. The junior fired home to the plate for the force out but baserunner Samantha Carter was ruled safe.
Kiley Ives kept the line moving a batter later with an RBI single to plate Lainey Hughes.
Down but not out, the Panthers closed the gap to one in the top of the fifth. Lead-off hitter Jessie Gross circled the bases for a two-run inside the park home run to pull North Johnston within a run at 4-3.
An inning later, Midway found itself on the ropes with a bases loaded jam, two outs and Logan Hodge stepping to the plate for North Johnston. Sophomore pitcher Sarah Autry buckled down to escape the inning by forcing Hodge into a foul pop-up to Ives.
Autry went the distance to pick up the win while allowing eight hits, five walks, and striking out four.
She was given an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Hughes which proved to be pivotal as North Johnston scraped across a run in its half of the seventh.
For the first time in over a decade, Midway finds itself playing on the state’s biggest stage. The Raiders have a quick turnaround as game one of the state championship series is slated for 5:00 p.m. on Friday evening at Duke University.
Midway will face the western champions, West Stanly who swept its regional final six days ago against West Wilkes. The Mustangs have claimed the last three 2A softball state championships.
