Fuquay-Varina edges Apex to move into tie atop SWAC softball standings

There was no one standout player for Fuquay-Varina softball on Thursday, but whether it was a taking an extra base on an error or getting just enough on the ball to move a runner, the Bengals did enough.

With a 7-5 victory at N&O No. 3 Apex, the No. 7 Bengals have forced a tie atop the Southwest Wake Athletic Conference standings. Holly Springs and Middle Creek sit two games back in third place, with Holly Springs earning the head-to-head tiebreaker.

“We knew that this game was, in essence – I never say it to them – could be the conference championship,” Fuquay-Varina coach Deb Clarke said. “Tonight that was in the back of our minds, the whole time. We had to have it, we needed it. Across the board everybody did all they could.”

Turning point

Apex had tied it at 5 in the bottom of the sixth on a sac fly from Lauren Barrett, but the Bengals came through in the top of the seventh.

After No. 3 hitter Ashlyn Long doubled to lead off the inning, Cathan Soto followed with a hard grounder that took a bad hop, forcing an error at second base that allowed Long to score to make it 6-5.

It was 7-5 later in the inning when Taylor Smith’s slow grounder back to the pitcher unexpectedly brought in a run after the toss to first was too high, giving the runner at third an opening to come in.

They said it

“We left way too many players on base. I think we had bases loaded multiple times and we just didn’t execute to score those runs,” Apex coach Dana Higgins said.

Unsung hero

Fuquay’s Soto picked up the win in relief. She came into a bases-loaded siutation in the bottom of the fourth and got out of the jam. She gave up just two runs in 3  1/3 innings.

“I just knew I had a great defense behind me,” Soto said. “If I put one in play, I knew they would back me up.”

Three to know

Julia Cerasi, Apex: The pitcher was 3 of 5 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. She struck out four.

Ada Previtte, Fuquay-Varina: The Bengals’ No. 9 hitter drove in two runs.

Hayden Parker, Fuquay-Varina: Catcher had a bases-loaded single to drive in two runs in the bottom of the second.

By the numbers

2: RBIs by Apex leadoff batter Shelby Poliachik.

1: RBI for Fuquay’s Chloe Baker.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 9:49 PM with the headline "Fuquay-Varina edges Apex to move into tie atop SWAC softball standings."