The Bluffton Ponytails all-stars took two of three from Mount Pleasant over the weekend to advance to the SCAP softball state tournament later this month in Beaufort.
Bluffton dominated game 1 with an 18-2 victory and rebounded from a 7-5 loss in game 2 to claim a 13-2 victory in the deciding game at Gahagan Park in Summerville.
Makenzie Stubbs was dominant in the circle in the opener, striking out seven and allowing just two runs and one hit in a three-inning complete game. Bluffton staked her to a 6-0 lead in the first and tacked on four in the second and eight in the third to close it out early via the run-rule. Rachel Blount led the offensive attack, going 3-for-3 with a single, double, and home run and scoring three times, while Caydon Swofford went 2-for-2 with a triple and scored twice, Stubbs was 2-for-2 with three runs, and Norah Morante went 2-for-2 and scored twice.
Bluffton issued too many walks in the second game and couldn’t dig out of an early hole despite a big game at the plate from Finley Javery, who was 2-for-3 with a triple and a run. Rebekah Blount and Morante each added a double and a run.
Stubbs was back in the circle for the finale, striking out two and allowing two runs in a four-inning complete game as Bluffton put up seven runs in the first and cruised to another run-rule win. Rebekah Blount led the offense, going 3-for-3 with a double, triple, and two runs, Morante was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, Jozarah Loar went 2-for-2 with a triple, and Javery was 2-for-2 with two runs.
Bluffton advances to play in the SCAP state tournament from June 24-27 at Burton Wells Park in Beaufort.