ST. PAULS — The girls soccer teams from Lumberton and Purnell Swett each won semifinal matches Saturday to advance back to the championship game of the Robeson Cup, a rematch from last year’s tournament final won by the Lady Rams.
Lumberton beat Red Springs 2-0 and Purnell Swett defeated St. Pauls 9-0. The Pirates and Rams will meet in the championship game at 12 p.m. Saturday at Red Springs, while Red Springs and St. Pauls will face off in the third-place match at 12 p.m., also at Red Springs.
Lumberton scored both of its semifinal goals in the first half, with Mckenna Bell scoring both. One was assisted by Linsi Campos Padilla.
Olivia Bass had a clean sheet in goal for the Pirates.
Purnell Swett’s win featured a four-goal performance from two-time reigning tournament MVP Josie McLean. Kyndallon Oxendine, Wren Jacobs, Aonor Woodell, Ava Giles and Sarah Hunt also scored goals for the Lady Rams; Hunt had three assists, Aniliegh Locklear had four and Anyssia Mains had one.
Red Springs was in action Monday at Douglas Byrd; Lumberton and Purnell Swett each play United-8 Conference road matches Tuesday, with the Pirates at South View and the Rams at Jack Britt. St. Pauls hosts Southern Lee Wednesday.
Lady Pirates dominant in win over Seventy-First
The Lumberton softball team put up crooked numbers in all three innings of Monday’s three-inning 17-0 United-8 Conference win at Seventy-First in Fayetteville.
Lumberton (7-2, 5-0 United-8) struck for six runs in the first, eight in the second and three in the third. The Pirates totaled 19 hits, while Seventy-First (0-6, 0-4 United-8) had four in its three turns at bat.
Alyssa Stone, Alona Hanna and Cameron Honeycutt each had three hits for the Pirates, with the night for both Stone and Honeycutt including a double and two RBIs, while Hanna also had two RBIs.
Tiara Stueck had two hits, a home run and three RBIs. Other two-hit performers included Carlee Register, who had two RBIs, and Ava Hanna.
Halona Sampson had one hit and two RBIs and Aniya Merritt, Jaelyn Hammond and Jayla Hunt each had one hit with one RBI.
Sampson pitched one inning with no hits allowed and two strikeouts and was credited with the win. Ava Hanna pitched the last two innings, allowing four hits with four strikeouts.
Hazel Singletary, Yady Aponte, Hannah Rice and Tatyana Smith each recorded hits for the Falcons.
Lumberton hosts Douglas Byrd Tuesday.