Prep softball: East Rowan 4, Lake Norman 2
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, May 5, 2009
By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
MOORESVILLE ó East Rowan’s softball team wasn’t sharp on Tuesday, but it was good enough.
East sophomore pitcher Chelsea White actually looked human, but she still struck out 12 in a 4-2 victory at Lake Norman that kept the Mustangs on track for their second straight NPC tittle.
“Chelsea’s arm was bothering her a little bit,” East coach Mike Waddell said. “But Chelsea off a little bit is still better than most of the pitchers we’ll be up against.”
White allowed six hits, including two doubles. She walked two and hit one.
East (14-2, 13-2) stayed ahead of Northwest Cabarrus and knocked Lake Norman two games back in the race.
East broke through in the second inning when Winter Heno slapped a two-out single to left to score courtesy runner Taylor Arey.
East had two out and none on in the third when Haley Barrier’s single and a walk to White got things started. Catcher Kayla Potts then crushed a two-run triple for the game’s biggest hit.
“I haven’t hit very well this year, but that one was solid,” Potts said. “I hadn’t had a triple all season, but I got in there at third with a hook-slide. It knocked the breath out of me.”
Ericka Nesbitt scored on a throwing error to put the Mustangs ahead 4-0 in the fifth.
Kayla Kirk and Mallory Drew pounded doubles, but East missed scoring chances.
Lake Norman pushed across a run in the sixth and inched closer with another in the seventh. The Wildcats (15-5, 12-4) had power hitter Stacey Houser at the plate with the tying runs on base when White finally ended the game with a strikeout on a checked swing.
“We left people on base, and we know we can play better,” Waddell said. “But you’d rather win ugly than lose.”