BLYTHEWOOD — Behind a 10-strikeout performance from Charlotte Martin and error-free defense, Bengals softball team showed plenty of grit Thursday night. But the bats couldn’t find an answer for West Florence ace Annie Eliasson, and Blythewood dropped a 4-0 decision heading into the Spring Break hiatus.
Martin was a bright spot for Blythewood (10-4, 6-2) in the circle. Despite facing a high-powered West Florence lineup that tallied 11 hits, Martin remained composed over seven innings of work. She surrendered four runs while walking only one batter and kept the Bengals within striking distance by fanning 10 Knights.
Offensively, the Bengals struggled to solve Eliasson, who lived up to her billing as a USC Upstate signee. Blythewood sophomore Gabby Cook provided the lone highlight for the Bengals’ offense, breaking up the no-hit bid with a sharp single. Cook finished the night 1-for-2 at the plate.
While the runs didn’t come, the Bengals’ defense was flawless. Blythewood didn’t commit a single error over seven innings, providing Martin with consistent support. Junior Rhames Weisinger was particularly busy in the field, recording a team-high 11 total chances and anchoring the Bengals’ defensive effort.
West Florence struck early when Eliasson hit a two-run home run in the first inning. The Knights added solo homers from Paityn Daniels in the fifth and Eliasson again in the seventh to account for the 4-0 final.
Despite the loss, the Bengals enter the break with a a firm hold on second place in the region. Blythewood will use the week off to regroup before returning to action for the final stretch of the regular season.
They return to a two-game series against Sumter next week. Blythewood will host a 5 p.m. game on Tuesday, then hit the road for a 7 p.m. game on Thursday.
Thursday
W Florence – 2-0-0-0-1-0-1 – 4-11-0
Blythewood – 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 – 0-1-0
WP: Annie Eliasson, 7 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 18K.
W – Annie Eliasson 4-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI. Bayleigh Honeycutt 3-4, 2B. Paityn Daniels HR.
B – Gabby Cook 1-2