East Bladen Rallies Late to Take Down Trask, 6-5

East Bladen Team Photo.

Elizabethtown, NC - Down five runs heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, East Bladen's varsity softball team staged a dramatic late-game comeback to edge Heide Trask 6-5 on Tuesday evening.

The Eagles strung together timely hits and clutch performances to pull off the walk-off win.

Heide Trask built what seemed to be a comfortable 5-0 lead, capitalizing on an early error and a pair of passed balls to plate four runs by the third inning.

A sacrifice bunt in the sixth extended their lead to five, putting the Eagles in a deep hole with just six outs to work with. But East Bladen wasn’t ready to fold.

The spark came from senior Tatum Allen, who crushed a double to left field in the bottom of the sixth, bringing home Martha Simmons for the Eagles' first run of the game.

Allen’s swing shifted the momentum and ignited a rally that would quickly snowball.

Moments later, Niyah Wooten stepped into the box and delivered a sharp single up the middle, driving in Allen and teammate Addison Douglas. Wooten’s poise at the plate narrowed the gap to 5-3 and gave East Bladen life.

Jenna Brice followed with one of her two hits on the night—a well-placed single to right field that brought Wooten across the plate, making it a one-run game. The rally may have started with Allen’s bat, but it was Brice and Wooten who kept it alive.

After a scoreless top of the seventh, the Eagles returned to the plate with a chance to complete the comeback. Taylor Dowless set the tone with a single and later came around to score on a line drive by Simmons, whose calm approach at the plate tied the game at five.

Then came the finishing blow: Jamie Perkins connected for a clutch hit, sending Mollie Tolar—who had collected two hits of her own—sprinting home with the winning run.

Perkins’ walk-off capped a perfect storm of determination, teamwork, and timely execution.

On the mound, Gracie Edwards turned in a gritty performance. The right-hander went the distance, scattering eleven hits over seven innings.

Despite giving up five runs, only one was earned, a testament to her composure and control. Edwards issued just two walks and struck out one, keeping the Eagles within striking distance while the offense warmed up.

East Bladen will look to continue their momentum against South Columbus on Wednesday.

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East Bladen Rallies Late to Take Down Trask, 6-5