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The West Stanly softball team played as the visiting team in Friday’s opening game of the 2A State Finals Series.

West made it 30 straight wins and took the advantage in the best-of-three series with a 4-2 win over Midway.

The Colts (30-1) threatened in the top of the first inning as Teagan Ritchie, Lily Huneycutt and Carmen McRae were all hit by a pitch to load the bases. Midway pitcher Jordyn Cristopher then got Aliyah Rush to pop out to short to end the inning.

In the bottom of the first, Sam Carter got a bunt single down then Krista McLean fought off eight straight 3-2 pitches to draw a walk. Carter then scored on a two-out Mallory Baggett RBI single to center, putting Midway (22-6) up 1-0.

West immediately responded in the top of the second. Elizabeth Ingle sent a laser beam shot over the fence in left field to tie the game 1-1, her seventh home run of the season. Several batters later, Payton Little drove in two runs with a base hit to left, plating two runs to put the Colts up 3-1.

The Colts’ bats continued to add runs in the third. Singles by Brooklyn Lovin, Ingle and Hartsell set up Smith for an RBI sacrifice fly, making it 4-1.

Midway got one run back in the third when a line drive single to left got past a diving Hartsell allowing Carter to score, getting the deficit for the Raiders back to two runs, 4-2.

Huneycutt and the Colts’ defense settled in the rest of the game and kept Midway off the board. For the game, Huneycutt allowed two runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

Cristopher took the loss for Midway, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with one walk.

Lovin, Ingle and Hartsell all had two hits each for West Stanly. Carter led the Raiders with two hits.

Game Two of the series will be Saturday at 11 a.m., and if necessary a third game would be Saturday at 5 p.m.