SPRING GARDEN – Spring Garden senior shortstop Neely Welsh blasted a three-run homer to center field in the bottom of the fourth inning, and senior pitcher Abbey Steward tossed a one-hitter with three walks and 12 strikeouts in a 9-1 victory over Sand Rock Tuesday in the Class 2A, Area 12 softball tournament.

Spring Garden scored a pair of unearned runs on Sand Rock errors in the bottom of the first and third innings to take a 4-0 lead. Welsh put the exclamation point on the win with her three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.

Kayley Kirk added a pair of run-scoring singles in the fourth and fifth innings for the Lady Panthers. Steward doubled to right in the sixth. She also walked twice.

Katelyn StClair had the lone hit for Sand Rock – a single to center in the top of the fifth. EllaGrace Hood walked twice. Jadyn Foster suffered the loss after she worked the first three innings and finished with six strikeouts.

The Lady Wildcats scored an unearned run on back-to-back Lady Panther errors in the third.

Spring Garden awaits the winner of Thursday’s Sand Rock and Gaston game at 5:30 p.m.

Sand Rock defeated Gaston in Tuesday’s tournament opener 14-3 in five innings. The Lady Wildcats rallied from three runs down by batting around twice and scoring 13 runs in the bottom of second inning.

Foster delivered a three-run triple to right center and had a three-run inside-the-park homer to right in the 13-run second inning. She finished the game going 2-for-3.

Hood doubled twice and walked. Briley Knight went 2-for-2 with a triple. Rylin StClair went 3-for-3 with a walk. Sherina Foster doubled and walked.

Hood picked up the win in relief of Emma Sipsy. Hood worked 3 2/3 innings and didn’t allow a hit. She walked one and struck out eight.

Makenzie McCarver managed a pair of hits for Gaston, including a RBI-double to left in the top of the second. Meleah Crane and Avah Horne both had RBI-singles to left in the first.

Emma Samples suffered the loss for the Lady Bulldogs.