By By EUGENE L. TINKLEPAUGH, Staff Writer
YEATESVILLE — Going into the fifth inning, Northside’s softball club was sitting pretty despite a few mishaps at the start of Tuesday’s conference game against Gates County.
Up 3-2 thanks to two quick scores in the fourth, the Panthers earned just a bit of breathing room after battling the Barons and themselves in the first half of the ball game.
The Panther lead wouldn’t hold out for long. At the top of the fifth inning, the big-hitting Barons would knock the wind right out of Northside’s fielders with the first four batters making it to home plate.
Defensively, Gates County put up road blocks that the Panthers couldn’t get around, completely locking down the bottom half of the game.
Winning pitcher Courtney Hobbs didn’t allow a single hit from the fifth inning on. Her fielders kept the Panthers off bases and held onto the 7-3 win.
In the last inning, the Barons’ tallied a strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play to seal off any chances of an 11th-hour Panthers comeback. Northside’s Kassie Sasnett made it to first base on a walk but was tagged out when she tried to steal second as Hobbs landed her third fatal fastball against Whitney Lewis, who was swinging at air.
The loss sends Northside’s overall record to 1-2; the team is 1-1 in the conference.
Panthers coach Keith Boyd contributed mistakes on the field to the inexperience of his players.
The Panthers are fielding four freshman, a couple sophomores and a junior with no prior organized softball experience.
Five of the Panthers’ seven errors came in the Barons’ break-out moment in the fifth.
The Panthers play at home Friday against Manteo in nonconference action.
Boyd said the team has to work on fielding.
Starting pitcher Amanda Beirne “played well pitching-wise,” Boyd said, “but even she made a few flaws fielding.”
Beirne struck out six Baron players and allowed 14 players on base.
Boyd said this was the sophomore pitcher’s fourth Varsity start.
At bat, Northside’s Casey Alligood led the team, hitting 2-3 with one run and contributing the lone run batted in.
Alligood’s score in the fourth — off a home-stealing effort on a catcher’s error — started the Panther’s run streak.
Gates County 101 040 1 — 7 14 4
Northside 100 200 0 — 3 6 8
WP: Courtney Hobbs; LP: Amanda Beirne
Hitters: GC — Rachel Lilley 3-4 (2B, 2 1B, RBI, 3 runs), Amanda Lilley 3-4 (2B, 2 1B, 2RBIs, 2 runs), Holly Bagley 2-4 (2 1B), Jalisa Bradley 1-4 (1B, RBI), Amanda Brown 1-4 (1B, RBI), Megan Askew 1-3 (1B), Destinee Hurdle 1-3 (1B, run), Alexis Gallop 2-3 (2 1B, run); N — Lauren Rodriquez 1-4 (1B, run), Casey Alligood 2-3 (2B, 1B, RBI, run), Amanda Beirne 1-3 (1B, run), Amanda Daw 1-3 (1B), Kassie Sasnett 1-2 (1B).