By Craig Brown

The Dillon Christian School Warriors traveled to Lake View on Friday for a special end of season game with the Lady Wild Gators of Lake View High School. The stadium and areas of the field and parking lots were decorated in pink to observe cancer awareness. The Lake View players and coaches were outfitted with new pink uniforms and the Wild Gators provided pink game sox for the Warrior players. Warrior coaches Norm Norton and Danny Ellis also wore pink shirts.

Wild Gator Head Coach Brandi Huggins opened the game by thanking all in attendance and recognized cancer survivors at the game. Coach Huggins introduced event sponsors Jimmy Sweat of Sweat Painting, Jason Carter representing First Citizens Bank, and Bobby Cardwell of Extreme Tinting. Lake View’s uniforms were sharp and really stood out.

As the visiting team, the Warriors batted first and Madison Moody led off for the Warriors on an infield hit followed by Sara Bass getting to base on a walk. Ansley Hamer advanced the runners to second and third on a fielder’s choice hit. Madison King sent Moody in for a run on a fielder’s choice hit. Wild Gator pitcher Marissa Tyndall struck out the fifth batter to send the Gators to bat trailing 1-0.

Ashley Rogers led off for the Gators with a base hit past third base. Logan Spivey lined out to second base, holding Rogers at first. Marissa Tyndall lined a hit to left field. Rogers and Tyndall came home when a fly ball hit by Kayla Page to the outfield got away from the fielder. Ally Spivey made it to base on an infield error but the Warriors got the next two batters out on a strikeout and a fielder’s choice to hold the Wild Gator lead at 2-1.

Janie Altman led off in the top of the second with a base hit with Shayla Hunt getting on with an error. A wild throw to the base resulted in Altman and Hunt rounding the bases and coming home for runs. Hannah Walters made it to base on a walk but was held there as Lake View took down the next three batters to come back to bat trailing the Warriors 3-2. Lake View picked up four runs in the bottom of the second on base hits by Ashley Rogers, Logan Spivey, and Marissa Tyndall with Alley Spivey and Madison Greene getting to base on errors, ending the inning with Lake View leading the Warriors 6-3.

Samantha Carpenter got the Warriors lone hit in the top of the third inning with no scoring damage. Alex Elliott led off for the Wild Gators in the bottom of the third with a base hit to center field, followed by successful bunt base hits by Shakira Parker and Madison Greene to load the bases. Ashley Rogers drove in Elliott on an infield error. Logan Spivey hit into a fielder’s choice, getting Parker out going home. Marissa Tyndall hit a very high fly ball to left field where Ansley Hamer fielded the hit. Greene tagged up and came home for the score but Hamer threw Rogers out going to third to send the Warriors back to bat trailing 8-3.

The Wild Gators put the Warriors three up and out in the top of the fourth, and the Warriors held Lake View to a lone hit by Ally Spivey to close the inning at 8-3. The Warriors again went three up and out in the top of the fifth to put the Gators back at bat. Lake View added a hit by Ashley Rogers but the Warrior fielders held, keeping the score at 8-3 after five innings played.

Samantha Carpenter led off in the sixth inning and got to base on a hit to centerfield and then stole second base. Carpenter was brought home by Shayla Hunt’s hard hit grounder that caused a Gator infielder to hesitate, allowing Hunt to get on base and Carpenter to score. Lake View did not allow the Warriors to do any additional damage and returned to bat leading the Warriors 8-4.

Kayla Page and Ally Spivey started the bottom of the sixth inning with base hits but were held on base as the Warriors got the next three batters out to send them back to bat in the top of the seventh inning. Sara Bass picked up a walk to base but was held there by some good pitching from Marissa Tyndall to end the game with an 8-4 Wild Gator win.

On the mound for the Warriors, Jamie Carpenter posted three strikeouts with no walks, allowed one batter to base on a hit by a pitch, and gave up 12 hits with eight runs scored in the loss.

On the mound for the Wild Gators, Marissa Tyndall posted nine strikeouts with three walked batters and allowed four hits with four runs scored for the win.

At bat for the Warriors, Samantha Carpenter was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases; Madison Moody was 1-for-2; Janie Altman was 1-for-3 with a fielder’s choice; Shayla Hunt got three RBI on two base on errors; Madison King got one RBI on a fielder’s choice hit; Ansley Hamer advanced two runners on a fielder’s choice hit; Sara Bass made it to base on two walks; and Hannah Walters got to base on a walk.

At bat for the Wild Gators, Ashley Rogers was 3-for-4 with a base on an error and one RBI; Marissa Tyndall was 2-for-3 with one RBI on a sacrifice fly to left field; Ally Spivey was 2-for-4, getting to base on two errors with one RBI; Logan Spivey was 1-for-3 with a fielder’s choice, also getting to base on a hit by a pitch; Kayla Page was 1-for-4 with two RBI, also getting to base on an error; Alex Elliott was 1-for-4 with a fielder’s choice hit; and Shakira Parker was 1-for-4.

The Warriors end the season at 6-11 with noted players for this game, Ansley Hamer and Madison King in the outfield; Janie Altman, a seventh grader, at third; Shayla Hunt, another seventh grader, who played both short stop and catcher; Samantha Carpenter, also Short stop and catcher; Sara Bass at second base; and Jamie Carpenter on the mound.

Noted players for the Wild Gators are Marissa Tyndall who pitched an outstanding game; Logan Spivey at first; Kayla Page at Short Stop; Alex Elliott at third base; and Ally Spivey at second base.

Lake View finished their region in second place and look to finish strong in the playoffs that begin this week. The Wild Gators always play with top sportsmanship and the Warriors wish them the best in the playoffs.

Photos by Craig Brown. Click the images below to view at full size!