KINSTON — Double-digit victories are becoming the status quo for the Washington 8U softball team. Whether it’s beating East Beaufort in the District 6 championship game or winning a simple scrimmage, head coach Tony Chrismon’s team continues to make quick work of the pitching machine.

On Saturday, Washington was back in action in the first round of the Babe Ruth Softball State Tournament at Barnet Field against the District 4 8U runner-up, Fuquay-Varina. After succumbing to a quick deficit, the best of Beaufort County powered their way to a commanding 18-5 victory over their opponent.

For one of the first times this month, Washington found itself in an early hole. Fuquay-Varina’s McKenzie Pennington started things off in the first with a slowly hit infield single. From there, the next four batters would reach, scoring two. Then, with two outs, Mallory Marcy came through with a two-run single to left to give her team a 4-0 lead.

Head coach Arthur Mouberry’s team came out in the bottom half of the first and recorded three-straight putouts on a nice play at second base, a pop out and a strikeout. Frustrated, coach Chrismon fired up his team, once again, and requested that the umpires recalibrate the machine. The umpires came together, setting a bat up on home plate, and tested the machine until the ball eventually knocked over the bat.

After a 10-minute stoppage of play, Washington was able to retire the first two hitters of the inning, but Fuquay responded with a run on three-straight singles by Pennington, Alayah Sturdivaat and Juliette Passmore. Washington escaped after first baseman Savannah Hale snagged a hard-hit line drive.

Finally, in the second, the offense opened up for Washington in a big way. After an error at second and a fly out, Washington recorded nine-straight hits, including a two-run double by Hale, to plate 10 runs. After the second out of the inning was recorded, Katherine Pollock, Ava Shae Mizell and Hale recorded back-to-back-to-back triples that went all the way to the wall. When the dust settled, Washington had chalked up 13 runs and now led by eight.

The big inning sucked the life out of Fuquay-Varina. In the third, the District 4 runner-ups recorded just one hit, as Washington came through with some timely defensive plays.

At the plate, Washington’s Kirbi Case, Erin Everett, Pollock and Mizell all recorded hits in the inning, but the big blow came off the bat of Hale, who smashed another triple to the wall, scoring two. Up 18-5, Washington needed three outs to activate the mercy rule and send them through to the next round robin game with a win.

On some more excellent defensive plays, Washington allowed just one hit in the final frame to take the victory.

Hale finished 3-for-3 with four RBI, while Mizell and Pollock also recorded three hits.

Washington will face Wayne County today at Sunday at 10 a.m. in the second day of the round robin stage. The bracket-style double elimination tournament is set to begin on Tuesday.