AHOSKIE – First-year Lawrence Academy softball coach Blair Whitehead says she was nervous heading into her inaugural season at the helm of one of the Tarheel Independent Conference’s perennial powers.

Then she proceeded to go undefeated.

The Lady Warriors capped an unbeaten mark in conference play with a 12-4 drubbing of Ridgecroft School last Thursday. It was their 12th win without a league loss.

Mandy Spence started in the circle for Ridgecroft and held her own through the first two innings before LAW

struck for four runs in the third: the first two came in on Rebekah Goodwin’s RBI single into the gap in right field. Later, with the bases loaded Lauren Smith pop fly dropped between two defenders and two more runs crossed. It was 4-0, Warriors.

Lawrence put it away with six more runs in the top of the fourth inning.  Goodwin, Smith, Katlynn Stotesberry, Claire Dail, and Isabelle Phelps each drove in runs during the inning.

Lauren Baker was in the circle for Lawrence, she cruised until the fourth when the Lady Rams touched her for a pair of runs, then two more in the fifth. She lasted five innings, allowing nine hits and four runs while striking out six.

Spence went the distance and took the loss, surrendering 12 runs on seven hits while striking out nine.

Lawrence got those 10 runs on just seven hits. Megan Davenport and Smith each managed two hits apiece while Rogers, Goodwin, and Phelps had one each.

Ridgecroft outhit the Warriors with nine hits in the game. Spence and Grace Vaughan each had three hits for Ridgecroft, along with Skylar Brown, Isabella Woodard, and Alana Hull smacking one hit each.

Lawrence gets a TIC Tournament first-round bye as regular season champs, with their first game set for today. Ridgecroft played Terra Ceia Monday in a game not completed by press-time.