Kinston Post 43 sweeps Carteret Post 46, improves to 9-1

By Junious Smith III

Kinston Post 43 hasn't slowed down a bit.

After defeating Carteret Post 46 4-2 and 12-4 in a doubleheader Thursday at Barnet Park, Kinston Post 43 went 4-0 this week and 9-1 overall.

"It's been the continuity of the girls," Kinston Post 43 coach Jody Turner said. "Defense and pitching has been absolutely incredible. (The) first game, (offensively) we struggled a little bit at the beginning, trying to be too aggressive and chased bad pitches. We settled down and in the second game, that's what carried us."

In the first game, Kinston Post 43 trailed 2-0 after one inning, but roared back in the bottom of the third. An RBI triple from Michaela Williams put Post 43 on the board with an RBI triple before Amber Parker's single tied it at 2. Sara Beth Stroud added an RBI triple and Summer Mercer's sacrifice fly had Wilmington Post 545 trailing 4-2.

From there, Rebekah Howard was able to end the game on the mound with little resistance.

"I had great defense behind me and I was able to hit my spots pitching, which made it all possible," Howard said.

In the second game, Kinston Post 43 used Stroud's RBI single, Katelyn Daughety's fielder's choice and Makayla Kopanski's sacrifice grounder in the first to go up 3-0. Carteret Post 46 scored two in the top of the third, but Post 43 responded in the bottom of the frame. Daughety and Howard each had two-run hits to key a 6-run inning and although Post 46 closed the gap to 9-4 in the fourth, Stroud responded with a 2-run blast in the bottom of the inning.

Kinston Post 43 would end the game with a walkoff on an error, as the eight-run mercy rule was in effect.

"We started seeing the ball a whole lot better and really got into a groove in that second game," Stroud said after the team's season-high effort in runs.

Kinston Post 43's next contest will be on the road July 23 against Wayne County Post 11.