Softball Recap: Smithfield-Selma Comes Up Short

Smithfield-Selma had lost 14 straight at home dating back to last season, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 0-17 to make it 15. They came up short against the West Johnston Wildcats, falling 26-8. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Wildcats this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 15-0 back in March.

As for West Johnston, the win (which was their seventh in a row) raised their record to 12-7. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs over those games.

For West Johnston's part, Faith Chapman made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Chapman has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Savannah Hall, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, five runs, and five RBI. Those five runs gave her a new career-high. Laney Pearce also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.

Smithfield-Selma didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next matchup, a 25-0 loss against C.B. Aycock on the 29th. As for West Johnston, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next contest, a 17-0 win against Southern Wayne on the 29th.