Staff Reports

PILOT MOUNTAIN — Beth Isaacs hit two home runs and finished 3-for-3, helping East Surry‘s softball team hold off Starmount 5-4 in non-conference action Thursday.

Up 5-1 heading into the top half of the seventh inning, the Cardinals looked ready to put the finishing touches on a powerful win. But a pair of run-yielding errors allowed Starmount back into the game until pitcher Hayley Shelton finally shut the door.

Isaacs hit her first home run in the bottom of the second to put East up 1-0. Starmount returned the favor in its next at-bat when Ashlee Handy batted home Chelsea Varner with a double to left center.

In the bottom of the third, Isaacs slammed a pitch into deep center field for a two-run shot to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

East scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a bomb from senior first baseman Morgan Chilton.

While the Cardinals avenged an earlier loss at the hands of the Rams in Boonville, coach Derrick Hill wasn’t exactly thrilled his team allowed a dangerous club like Starmount back into the contest late. What he was thrilled about, however, was how a couple of his players hit the ball.

“We didn’t take advantage of opportunities tonight like we have the past few ball games,” he said. “The home-run balls were obviously huge. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Beth have a bigger game than she did tonight. She saw the ball really well.”

Josie Matthews helped keep Starmount alive in the top of the seventh inning, doubling to left field with one out. Varner slapped a single through the left side of the infield to put two runners aboard.

Matthews came home on a passed ball. Varner made her way to third base after a passed ball and a fly out. An error allowed Handy to reach safely and scored Varner.

A Brittany White single then scored Handy to tighten the game to 5-4.

The Rams stranded two runners when the last batter flied out against Shelton.

Varner finished 3-for-3 for Starmount, scoring twice. Courtney Groce took the loss for the Rams, falling to 18-4. Both teams recorded 10 hits.

“It was a much better effort tonight, a good game,” Starmount coach Heather Courts said.

Morgan Chilton finished 2-for-3 with a homerun, an RBI and two runs scored for the Cardinals.

East Surry improves to 15-5 overall and sits at 12-0 in Northwest 1A/2A Conference play.

The Cardinals will have a quick turnaround as they will travel to West Stokes today for what is effectively the conference regular season title.

An East Surry win secures the regular season crown, while a loss will tie the Wildcats and Cardinals for first in the conference.

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Starmount (18-4, 12-2 conference) helped its cause in the Mountain Valley 1A/2A standings with an 8-1 home win over East Wilkes on Wednesday night. The Rams set the tone by scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning, then held off a pesky Cardinals team the rest of the way.

Starmount had 15 hits in all, led by Ashlee Handy (3-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Josie Matthews (3-for-4). Nichole Hutchens added a pair of singles.

Chelsea Varner stroked a run-scoring double in the second inning to bring Matthews home. Jessica White hit a double in the fourth that scored Handy.

Starmount finished off its scoring in the fifth frame after loading the bases. Emily Hunter hit a pop-up that was dropped, scoring Sydney Caudle. A Handy single later in the inning scored Matthews.

The Rams struggled to get Daryl Neely out. The East Wilkes standout went 3-for-3 with a run. Anna Litschke drove home the Cardinals’ lone score in the top of the third.

Groce earned the pitching win for Starmount, her 18th of the season.