No. 9 Garner softball finishes off opening week with win over No. 12 D.H. Conley
With just a few minutes of daylight to spare, No. 9 ranked Garner softball escaped its first week of competition with a pair of signature non-conference victories.
Claire Herman made a diving catch in left field and doubled up the runner at third to secure a come-from-behind 4-2 victory for the Trojans against No. 12 D.H. Conley.
Garner opened up its season with an 8-2 victory on Tuesday afternoon against No. 10 Wake Forest.
The Vikings broke the ice right away. Mia Trueblood singled to lead things off, and scored on a Lena Zurface sacrifice fly.
Zurface later plated Trueblood on a sacrifice ground out in the third to push the Conley lead to 2-0.
In the Garner half of the third, the Trojans pulled even against freshman pitcher Kendall Howard. Cloe Ragano and Gaby Mizelle started the inning with back-to-back base hits and Leigh Anna Carter loaded them up after being hit by a pitch.
Howard picked up a key strikeout of Raleigh Stewart, but allowed Lily Keefer to plate a pair with a hit to the gap. A strikeout and fly out to end the frame kept the game tied until the fifth.
Keefer rocked a ball into left off of reliever Olivia Hadnott and reached third on the play after a pair of errors in the field. Garner took advantage of the runner on third and less than two outs thanks to a Brittany Stephens sac fly to right for a 3-2 lead.
Gabby Czuczuk, who struck out four in the circle for Garner, helped her own cause with a two out double to the corner in right. Bailey Radford followed with a run-scoring single to tack on an insurance run at 4-2.
Ragano and Herman made diving catches in the outfield in each of the final two innings. It held off a late Conley rally and secured the victory for the Trojans.
Garner returns to action on Monday when it closes out a season-opening three game home stand with Middle Creek coming to town. D.H. Conley makes the trip back to Wake County on Tuesday when it faces Apex Friendship.
