LEW HEGE, SENIOR SPORTS COLUMNIST

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Karissa Moss provided the pitching and Caitlin Ewers the big bat as Roanoke Rapids blanked Dare County 10-0 in four innings in the Babe Ruth 12-under girls' softball tournament.

The 12-under team later went on to top Camden in the final game of the day.

Dare threatened in the top of the first when McKenzie Wescott led off the game on an unusual play.

When Wescott swung, catcher Lindsey Pulley's mitt got in the way and Wescott went to first on catcher interference.

Wescott stole second and went to third on a fielder's choice. But Moss, a hard-throwing righty, got out of the inning unscathed.

The locals struck for four runs in the bottom of the stanza. Identical bunts down the third base line by Veronica Edmonds and Paula Hardy put the first two runners on for Roanoke Rapids.

Ewers, a lefty with power, then drilled a line drive in the left field gap to drive home both runners. Moss then bunted for Roanoke Rapids' fourth hit of the frame and later scored on a hit to right field from Connor Massey, giving Roanoke Rapids a 4-0 lead.

In the second, Pulley's bunt and an error put the Roanoke Rapids' catcher in scoring position. Edmonds brought her home on a sacrifice bunt.

With two out, Ewers smacked her second double, a blue darter in right field. When she tried to stretch it to a triple, she was thrown out, ending the inning, but the locals were up 5-0.

Roanoke Rapids would add five more runs to lead 10-0. The slaughter rule stopped the contest after four innings.

Roanoke Rapids wins 10-under game 17-5

There are some sports where size isn't important, like tennis and golf. But in 10-under softball, Roanoke Rapids has a team loaded with big, strong players.

The local all-stars' size advantage was evident and with pitchers Sierra Hearp and Jordan Carpenter dominating, Roanoke Rapids easily toppled Dare County 17-5 in the girls' Babe Ruth tourney Thursday afternoon.

Roanoke Rapids struck for five runs in the first inning, getting those courtesy of some wildness on the mound and errors in the field.

Hearp went the first two innings and Carpenter pitched the middle innings before Hearp took the circle to finish the game.

Meanwhile, the locals went on top 14-2 in the middle of the third inning. Dare got a pair and trailed 14-4 after three, hanging on the edge of the 10-run slaughter rule.

Roanoke Rapids extended the lead to 17-4 in the top of the fourth, thanks to a pair of walks by Hearp and Carpenter and a liner from Martin.

Brooke Robertson's walk made it 17-4. Dare got one run in the bottom of the frame, but Hearp fanned the final two batters of the game and the locals had an easy, four-inning victory.