After a rough non-region season, Beaufort High’s softball team got a fresh start with the beginning of Region 7-4A play and made the most of it with a 14-0 rout of visiting Bluffton on Monday.
Essence Champion was 3-for-3 with a double, two homers, and five RBIs to lead the offensive barrage for the Eagles, who broke it open with an 11-run second inning.
Kristin Burke wsa 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs, Lillian Bearden was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Kidron Martin drove in three runs.
Maliyah Hagan struck out two and limited Bluffton to three hits in the five-inning shutout.
The win ended a three-game losing streak for the Eagles, who lost 18-6 at home to May River and let an early lead slip away in a 6-3 loss at Woodland last week.
May River erupted for 10 runs in the sixth inning to turn a close game into an 18-6 rout over Beaufort. Bearden and Carleigh Coolong each had a hit and two RBIs, and Madison Sanchez was 2-for-3 and scored a run for the Eagles.
Against Woodland, Bearden went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs for the Eagles, who led 3-0 after three innings before the Wolverines rallied for two runs each in the fourth, fifth, and sixth.
Madison Sanchez also had a hit for Beaufort. Bearden allowed six runs (two earned) and five hits in a complete game to take the loss.
Beaufort (2-6, 1-0) was slated to travel to Bluffton for the second game of the series Wednesday.
Above: Beaufort High School’s Essence Champion, right, reaches for a ball thrown from the outfield as May River High School’s Emma Carmany safety stumbles into second base during the top of the third inning Monday at BHS. The Eagles lost 18-6. Photo by Bob Sofaly
