MERRY HILL – Lawrence is still Lawrence.

The Lady Warriors entered Tuesday’s game against Ridgecroft School 3-4 overall with a 1-1 mark inside the Tarheel Independent Conference, but the perennial heavyweights in the 1-A ranks of the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association showed up big time.

Behind a five-run third inning, the Lady Warriors downed NCISAA number four ranked Ridgecroft School 11-1.

“This is a big win for us,” said second-year Lawrence skipper Kristen Nobles. “We’ve struggled early, but today I felt like we finally put it together and started playing the way we’re capable of playing.”

The game was close early, but when Ridgecroft pitcher Mary Kate Morris aggravated a muscle pull and had to leave the mound after less than three complete innings, the Warriors took advantage.

Senior Debbie Stotesbury drew a one-out walk in the third and advanced to second when Sarah Capehart singled to shallow center field. Jennifer White then drove a one-strike pitch over the center fielder’s head scoring both Stotesbury and Capehart.

LeAnne Eubanks drew a walk before Kendra Spruill delivered a triple to left field. Spruill scored when Shelby Zube reached on an error to make it 6-1 in favor of the home squad.

The Lady Warriors added a run in the bottom of the fourth frame.

Stotesbury walked and went to third on a single by Capehart. She then scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-1.

Lawrence closed out the game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Warriors got four runs on just one hit and a quintet of walks and one hit batter as they took the victory.

“Our pitching came through for us today,” said Nobles. “Actually, I feel like it all came together today.”

White tossed all five innings, allowing just one run on four hits.

The game started slowly with each team scoring one run in their half of the first frame.

Ridgecroft got on the board first, getting one run off one hit in the top of the first.

In the bottom of the inning, the Warriors got a double from Capehart and an RBI-single by Eubanks.

Lawrence is now 4-4 overall and 2-1 in the league and will host league-leading Hobgood Academy today (Thursday) at 5 p.m.