Garner had clinched at least a share of the Conference Championship as they entered play on Friday night, but a win would give them the outright Conference Title and home field advantage throughout the State Playoffs.
This night would be a tale of the two Seniors, in Nadia Jeffries and Christie Wright. After a one, two, three top of the first, the Lady Trojans wasted no time in getting on the board as Nadia Jefferies led off with a rope down the third base line for a lead off double. She would then steal third as Mary-Scott Powell singled to drive in the first run of the game. After a ground out, Kimmie Stewart doubled to left to score Powell and give Garner a 2-0 lead.
The score would remain the same as Wright continued to cruise giving her only base runner of the game on a six pitch walk in the top of the second.
Garner would break the game open in the fourth inning as Kasey Hamrick singled with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Meghan Strickland then doubled to score Hamrick and give Garner a 3-0 lead, but they weren't done. After a Sacrifice Bunt by Anna Burton, the Garner Senior Nadia Jeffries reached on a error allowing Strickland to score. Jefferies stole second and reached third on a throwing error by the Warrior catcher. Mary-Scott Powell then doubled to plate Jefferies to make it 5-0 Garner.
The Lady Trojans added one more run in the bottom of the sixth as Breanne Campbell was hit by the Katie Watkins pitch and moved to second on a fielder's choice and would later score on a wild pitch, which made the score 6-0 Garner going to the seventh.
As the two teams went to the final inning, the focus was one one thing, getting Wright the no-hitter. The first batter to face her was Shelby Bishop who sent a looping line drive to right field and Nadia Jeffries had to come a long way but made a basket catch in shallow right field. Whitney Betts then fouled out to third and the final out of the game was very fitting of the night as Katie Watkins swing at the Garner Senior Christie Wright's pitch and flew out to the other Garner Senior Nadia Jefferies to end the game.
The win clinches the Conference Championship for the Lady Trojans as they head into the Greater Neuse River Conference Tournament which will be held at Smithfield-Selma High School beginning Thursday.
EW 0 0 2
GAR 6 10 0
Winning Pitcher: Christie Wright - 7 Innings, 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 Walk, 11 Strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: Katie Watkins - 6 Innings, 10 Hits, 6 Runs, 5 Earned, 1 Walks 9 Strikeouts
Leading Hitters: GAR: Powell 2-4, Stewart 2-4, Strickland 1-2, Jefferies, 2-4
JV Softball Also Conference Champs
The Lady Trojan JV softball team defeated East Wake 20-0 in 3 1/2 innings Friday afternoon to earn the conference championship. Garner collected 16 hits while scoring 7 runs in the first inning, they added 12 runs in the second inning and one run in the third inning.
Pitcher Mary Royal allowed only 3 hits and received solid defense from the restof the team. The win gave the Lady Trojans and coach Emily Hardee finish the season with a 12 -3 - 3 record with only one conference loss.
EW 0 3 9
GAR 20 16 3
Winning pitcher: Mary Royal
Leading hitters: GAR -- Jordan Foster 4-4 2B, Amber Kirkland 3-3 3B,Lauren Badey 2-2, Michaela Beck 2-2, Emily Fleming 2-3, Amber Robb 1-2
Wright's Senior Night No-Hitter Gives Garner Conference Championship
