Hibriten earns top seed

The Hibriten softball team secured the top seed out of the 2-A portion of the Catawba Valley Athletic Conference Thursday with a 7-0 win over Hickory, coupled with a 13-0 Bandys loss to Fred T. Foard. Hibriten's first ever 2-A conference crown means the Panthers will host at least one playoff game.

“It's amazing,” Hibriten coach Jim Blanton said. “The girls have worked so hard, played all summer and came to all the offseason workouts. I'm really proud of them.”

Ashlyn Pope went six innings on the mound for Hibriten (17-6 overall), striking out eight and allowing only one hit. She walked two.

Offensively, Hibriten's Sarah Bentley commemorated Senior Night with a 2-for-4 performance. Bentley, the only senior on the squad, even made a pitching appearance, her first since freshman year. She struck out one and gave up one hit in a scoreless top of the seventh.

“It was fitting for her to come through,” Blanton said. “I think we won five games during her freshman year, and she has stuck it out. Now we've won 17 this year. She's seen everything, from the worst to the best.”

Krista Sumpter went 2-for-3 on the night, while Kayla Brown contributed a two-RBI triple and Hannah Crowe had a two-RBI single.

Blanton wasn't even there to see his team finish the job. He had to leave after three innings to tend to a more pressing need: the birth of his second child. Blanton's wife Rachel headed to the hospital around the third inning, leaving Hibriten without it's usual skipper. On the car ride over, Blanton made sure to get updates on his team's fate.

Meanwhile, the Hibriten team stuck around after its contest to find out what happened with Bandys. When the final score was announced, a celebration ensued.

Hibriten plays Monday at 4:30 in the first round of the Catawba Valley Athletic Conference tournament.