Panthers struggle in playoff-preview loss to Bears

Published 6:02 am Saturday, March 15, 2025

By Jason O. Boyd

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YEATESVILLE, N.C. — What was billed as a possible preview of a state playoff softball match spiraled out of control by a talented Bear Grass Charter team.

The Bears scored 10 runs in the final two innings to 10-run-rule Northside, 14-3 on Wednesday. The game was scheduled as part of a hectic week that began with ACT testing on Monday and the school prom on Friday. When Perquimans could not play its game with Northside due to the girls’ basketball team in the Class 1A state semifinals, Northside and Bear Grass Charter agreed to square off.

Bear Grass (4-1) scored four runs in the first two innings, taking advantage of nearly every hit and mistake by Northside (3-2). The Panthers scratched back to cut the margin to 4-3 before the Bears exploded again on offense, including scoring eight runs in the sixth inning.

By the time the dust settled, Northside was left struggling for answers after its performance.

“Yeah, I mean, we just, we gave up those three runs in the second inning,” Northside coach Keith Boyd said. “And I think two, or one was earned. I mean, we pitched well enough to win.

“They didn’t get past all of them, they hit the ball. I mean, they really did a good job. But we had opportunities to get outs, and we didn’t take advantage of them.”

Northside answered Bear Grass Charter’s first-inning run with one of its own. With two outs, EllaKate Hanna reached on a high throw to first base. Megan Hopkins then hit a screamer down the left field line that scored Hanna.

Bear Grass responded with three more runs in the second. With two outs, Chloe Clifton’s hard grounder was bobbled then thrown high to first, allowing two runs to score for a 3-1 lead. Aubrey Dotson then ripped a single placed perfectly down the third-base line that scored Clifton to make it 4-1.

Northside responded again, scoring two runs to cut the margin to 4-3. Londyn Keech dropped a double down the left-field line that scored Makenly Whaley, who beat the throw to first for an infield single. Keech raced into third base and slapped her hands after the run scored, then scored herself on a groundout by Samantha Braddy.

Bear Grass just kept on scoring, plating two runs in the fifth and eight in the sixth. Northside used three pitchers as Keech, the starter, was replaced on the mound after throwing 120 pitches. The Bears batted around, using three hits, four walks, two errors, a passed ball and a wild pitch.

“And with a good team, you can’t give them four and five outs in the inning,” Boyd said. “Or they’re going to sooner or later make you pay. That, in turn, drove the pitch count up for Londyn.

“And she (Keech) pitched very well. But after 120 pitches, it’s about time to come off. And then from there, we’re just young.”

Northside worked Thursday on fixing those mistakes ahead of next week’s two games with Southside to start the Coastal Plains Conference season. Wednesday also marked the last game for Braddy, who was scheduled for shoulder surgery next week so she can be fully healthy for when she plays in college for Montreat.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s a learning experience,” Boyd said. “You kind of find out where you are through the good and the bad. And we found out a little bit about ourselves tonight that we might have to work on.

“But the biggest thing I saw was just when something goes wrong, don’t hang your head where it causes another thing to go wrong. And we just got to find some leadership in that department. We’re young on the field, so it’s just a learning curve. When you lose eight starters off of a team from last year, you know you’re just gonna have some growing pains.

“And we’ll bounce back, we’ll learn from it, and certainly do the best we can.”

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