FAIRMONT — Last week, Fairmont softball coach Donnie Carter said he felt like if his team could just get a win or two it could give them the confidence to start playing consistently better down the stretch of this season and into the future.
Perhaps a pair of 15-run wins this week over Red Springs can be just the spark he was looking for.
The Golden Tornadoes needed just three innings to beat the Red Devils 16-1 at home on Thursday, completing the sweep of the Southeastern Athletic Conference two-game set after a 15-0 win on Tuesday.
“I hope it gives them more confidence in what they’re doing, that what they’re doing is working, we’ve just got to keep continuing to do it and be consistent,” Carter said. “We’ve just got to be consistent with our defensive play and I think we’re going to be OK. Both pitchers are doing a great job, pounding the strike zone, not walking a lot of people; we’ve just got to play defense behind them.”
Kensley Newberry had three hits and six RBIs for Fairmont (4-12, 2-4 Southeastern), driving in runs in each of the three innings of the game and additionally drawing a first-inning walk.
“We started off with a brand new team this season, so we’ve been working really hard to overcome the new team and been working as a team,” Newberry said. “The two big wins have really helped us and put our confidence up.”
“We need her at the top of the lineup getting on base,” Carter said. “We don’t have a lot of team speed, but she’s one; if we can put her on, we can put a little pressure on some teams, and we’ve been doing that ever since she’s been getting on base.”
Fairmont struck for seven runs in the first on just two hits. The first three runs came home on bases-loaded walks by M.J. Cummings, Zoee Chavis and Taylor Bullock; Cummings and Chavis then each scored on wild pitches and a Newberry RBI single drove home two more to complete the scoring in the frame.
The Golden Tornadoes scored five more in the second inning to take a 12-0 lead. Kimberleigh Stevens reached and scored on two Red Devil errors, and a Bullock infield single brought home another run.
“They were making simple errors, overthrowing the ball,” Red Springs coach Chelsi Oxendine said. “We had a couple of good hits, but they weren’t in good holes. We had kids get on base, we just couldn’t have the people coming up behind them executing.”
Newberry’s three-RBI triple scored three more for Fairmont.
“I didn’t realize I had hit it that far at first, but then when I got to second I saw where the ball was so I just went on to third, and I was like, dang, bases loaded,” Newberry said.
Red Springs (3-8, 0-4 Southeastern) scored its lone run in the third inning when Ava Goins tripled and scored on a throwing error on the play.
That was one of just two hits allowed by Fairmont pitcher Layla Hunt, who struck out four and had no walks.
“She’s pitched well every game,” Carter said. “Sometimes her defense lets her down and it doesn’t look like she’s pitched well if you look at the box score, but she’s pitched well every game. She’s going to be something special; she works hard.”
Chavis’ RBI double kicked off the third-inning scoring for Fairmont before Cummings scored on an error and an Alexa Grimsley RBI walk brought home another. A bloop single by Newberry brought home her sixth RBI and ended the game early via the run rule.
Bullock had one hit and three RBIs for Fairmont, Chavis had a hit and two RBIs and Cummings and Grimsley each had an RBI. Hunt and Stevens also recorded hits. Stevens and Cummings each scored three runs and Chavis, Bullock, McNeill and Daisa Inman each scored twice.
Telinda Pate, the typical Red Springs starting pitcher, did not appear in the circle until the third inning due to illness. Sabria McPhatter pitched the first two frames.
Goins and Gabby Locklear had the two hits for Red Springs.
Fairmont also beat Red Springs 16-3 in the Robeson County Slugfest on April 1, and took its 10th straight game in the head-to-head series with Thursday’s win.
Fairmont plays a two-game conference series against West Bladen beginning Tuesday in Bladenboro, looking to build from this week’s twin wins over the Red Devils.
“We look forward to next week, we play West Bladen and we’re looking forward to taking a W with that,” Newberry said. “We’ve been working really hard to get some wins in the conference so we can hopefully make playoffs.”
Red Springs has six conference games left over the final two weeks of the season, including a tough stretch next week with two games against Midway and one at home against St. Pauls, the top two teams in the conference.
“We’re hoping to build some confidence up, hoping to try some new positions out and try to see where people can play at, in order to work on them for next season,” Oxendine said. “As of right now, we’re hoping to just come out and win a couple more games before the season’s over.”
Sports editor Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at [emailprotected]. You can follow him on X/Twitter at @StilesOnSports.
