Purnell Swett softball wins on walkoff, advances to 3rd round
May 7—PEMBROKE — The Purnell Swett softball team won a thriller to advance to the third round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A state playoffs.
The Rams won 2-1 in nine innings over Apex Friendship.
Torrie Butler had a walk-off RBI single to plate Marijo Wilkes, who reached on an error earlier in the frame.
Summer Bullard pitched all nine innings with 16 strikeouts. She allowed one earned run on seven hits with two walks.
The Rams (12-2) trailed 1-0 after Apex Friendship (9-5) scored a run in the third. Purnell Swett's Angelica Locklear walked to lead off the fourth, and after Kara Deese and Nyla Mitchell singled, Wilkes walked to score Angelica Locklear.
Butler had two hits for Purnell Swett. Both sides had seven hits in the game.
The Rams advanced to the third round for the first time in recent memory. They will host Fuquay-Varina Friday at 3 p.m.
In other action, the Purnell Swett baseball team lost 3-0 to Scotland.
The Scots' Jackson Sellers threw a one-hitter, with Cameron Fields earning the Rams' lone hit.
Jonathan Jacobs struck out 12 in five innings in the loss.
