BAKER — Powered by a seven-run fifth inning Baker School’s softball team beat Freeport 12-8 in District 3-1A play Friday.
Things started off iffy for the Gators as they trailed 4-1 after two innings. Baker (5-1, 2-1) scored twice in the fourth inning to cut the Freeport lead to a run.
After stranding 10 runners on base in the first four inning the Gators finally got timely hitting in the fifth.
“We found a way to get it done in the end,” Baker Coach John Carlisle said. “We started off real shaky and couldn’t get a key hit we needed to get at the beginning of the game. The last couple of games that has been eating at us and is something we haven’t been able to get done at the beginning of the game.
“Finally we had somebody come through for us there and we ended up having a big inning and were able to put some distance between us and Freeport.”
Baker sent 11 batters to the plate and picked up six hits to take the lead and control of the game.
The Gators took the lead on a two-run single by Emily Stewart that scored Brittany Richburg and Bethany McCranie. By the time the inning was finished Shelby Sloan, Stewart, Mykala McCranie, Jenna Elmer and Jenna Bush also scored.
Freeport trailed 10-4 when it came to bat in the sixth inning, but the Bulldogs struck for four runs to again make things interesting.
Baker scored a pair of insurance runs in the sixth inning as Bethany McCranie and Sloan each scored their third runs of the game.
Sloan was perfect at the plate going 5-for-5 with three runs scored and a run batted in to lead the Gator attack. Mykala McCranie had three hits. Bethany McCranie, Bush and Elmer each had two hits.
Allison Newell went the distance in the circle to get the win for Baker.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Big inning lifts Baker over Freeport