By BRIAN MEADOWS
Media General News Service
This week will be more relaxing for Lake Norman High School’s softball team.

“It’s a very good way to start off spring break,” said Wildcats third baseman Meghan Sboro after Lake Norman defeated North Iredell 7-2 late last week.

“Everbody hit the ball. Everybody executed — awesome.”

Sboro went 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBIs and pitcher Kaley Ward struck out 11 as the Wildcats completed the season sweep of the Raiders. Lake Norman scored three runs in the 12th inning last week to beat North Iredell 3-0 in game that originally started on March 28 but was suspended because of darkness with the score knotted 0-0 after 11 innings.

North Iredell cranked out four hits in the top of the fifth inning to even the score at 2-all on Thursday. Catcher Leslie Payne and shortstop Theresa Marlow each drove in a run during the rally.
“The mood was down a little bit,” Sboro said. “Of course, we know they’re a really good team and can play with us. But we got back up and got it going again.”

The Wildcats (10-7, 5-4 NPC) scored three runs on no hits and two Raiders errors in the bottom half of the fifth to regain the lead for good.

“It’s tough,” Payne said. “We all get up and we’re ready and we’re hitting good, and then we get out there and make errors. It’s hard to stay up then.”

The Wildcats gave themselves some more breathing room in the bottom of the sixth. Thanks to four hits, including Kaula Conrad’s leadoff triple, they tacked on a pair of insurance runs. Amanda Stires singled to score Conrad, who was 2-for-3, and Sboro doubled to drive home Lauren Marshall, who reached on a flare single.

Ward registered two of her 11 Ks in the Raiders’ last at-bat. The game ended on a batter interference call. Marlow, who had two of the Raiders’ five hits, tried to steal third base. Catcher Ashley McIntosh’s throw to third hit the back side of Hannah Stutts’ helmet.

In addition to her strikeouts, Ward was solid. She walked four but that included issuing a free pass to Stutts, the cleanup hitter, in the fifth to load the bases. Ward got out of the jam when she struck out Heather Nellis on three straight pitches.

Stutts suffered the loss. She fanned eight batters while allowing eight hits and a walk.

North Iredell (8-9, 4-5 NPC) was left to reflect on the roller-caster fifth inning and seeing its momentum deflated.

“The thing we’ve got to work on is staying up,” Payne said. “We get up and then we get back down by making errors. We need to stay up the whole game and once we get to that high point, stay there.”

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