The Lady Scots softball team and the Marlboro County Bulldogs come together on the mound for a picture before the start of the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.

The Lady Scots softball team and the Marlboro County Bulldogs come together on the mound for a picture before the start of the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.

<p>Laura Fedak, the mother of Madison Fedak, throws out the first pitch before the start of the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.</p>

Laura Fedak, the mother of Madison Fedak, throws out the first pitch before the start of the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.

<p>The Lady Scots’ Carleigh McKeithan puts the ball in play during the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.</p>

The Lady Scots’ Carleigh McKeithan puts the ball in play during the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.

<p>Lady Scots pitcher Avery Stutts throws a pitch during the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.</p>

Lady Scots pitcher Avery Stutts throws a pitch during the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.

<p>The Lady Scots’ Kinsey Hamilton gets to first base safely during the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.</p>

The Lady Scots’ Kinsey Hamilton gets to first base safely during the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.

<p>The Lady Scots’ Dawson Blue gets a base hit during the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.</p>

The Lady Scots’ Dawson Blue gets a base hit during the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game Thursday night.

LAURINBURG — There wasn’t a more fitting way to finish the Live Like Madison Strikeout Cancer game between the Lady Scots softball team (7-2) and the Marlboro County Bulldogs (6-3) than what had happened Thursday night.

With a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Scots got hot at the plate.

Carleigh McKeithan scored a run from second, thanks to an Addison Johnson fly ball, which she reached third off of from an error. At the next at bat, Dawson Blue hit a home run to center field, making it 9-0, then Lindsay Locklear would also homer on the first pitch of her at bat, ending the game with a 10-0 six-inning victory for the Lady Scots.

“I feel like Madison was with these girls tonight, especially with the back-to-back (home runs) and that walk-off,” Lady Scots head coach Adam Romaine said. “It was her way of saying thank you girls for doing everything you’ve done, and (she) put a blessing on the bats for us tonight.”

According to their website, the Live Like Madison foundation’s mission statement is “dedicated to raising funds for pediatric cancer research, supporting children and families impacted by the disease, and building awareness in communities through education and events.”

The organization was founded after Madison Fedak was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a very rare form of bone cancer, at the age of five. She tragically passed away from the disease on Dec. 21, 2019.

Romaine discussed the impact of Fedak on his team and on the Marlboro County Bulldogs, and what the game meant to both teams.

“It’s a great thing, not only for our community, but for our girls,” Romaine said. “They were really wanting to make sure this was a big game for them, and they wanted to play great for the cause, and, of course, for the school. We got on board with Marlboro (County) earlier in the year about it, and they said ‘man, let us in on it. They (Marlboro County) contributed over $200 to us and then fans contributed money as they came in. They were happy to be in it and they’ve offered to already do extra stuff for it next year.”

The “Scotland Softball” Facebook page reported that “rough estimates at the moment are pointing towards us easing over $1,500 to go towards cancer research and to keep Madison’s memory alive.”

Beginning on the bump for the Lady Scots was Avery Stutts, while Abby Quick was the starting pitcher for the Bulldogs.

After Marlboro County’s Amir Bridges and Addison Skipper were left on second and third base in the top of the first, the Lady Scots’ Addison Johnson was able to get a run across in the bottom of the inning, after a wild pitch by Quick allowed Johnson to score from third.

The Lady Scots went down 1-2-3 in the second inning, but found two more runs in the third from McKeithan and Kinsey Hamilton. McKeithan doubled on a ground ball to get on base, before Hamilton sacrificed but reached first off an error by Marlboro County first baseman Ramzee Williams, allowing McKeithan to reach third, then steal home plate.

Hamilton advanced to third after a sacrifice by Johnson, and a Locklear hard ground ball to center field allowed Hamilton to extend the Lady Scots lead to 3-0.

Into the bottom of the fourth, Stutts scored another run for the Lady Scots, after getting a triple on a fly ball to right field, then scoring off a Sydnee Dial sac fly to center field.

Two more runs were added for the Lady Scots in the fifth from Blue and Locklear. Blue doubled on a hard ground ball to left field, before Locklear brought her in on an RBI line drive double to center field. Madison Dixon singled on a hard ground ball to center field at the next at bat, which led to Locklear making the lead 6-0.

Quick suffered the loss for Marlboro County, allowing 10 runs on 11 hits, walking one, recording eight errors, and striking out four in 5.1 innings pitched.

Stutts had her best pitching performance of the season thus far and pitched a complete game for the Lady Scots, allowing only one hit and striking out 12, while earning the win.

“She pitched her butt off tonight,” Romaine said. “She wanted the ball bad with them tonight. She asked about it Monday at practice and I said ‘I’m way ahead of you on that’ cause we didn’t want them (Marlboro County) to see Sydnee (Dial) again because we knew we got two great pitchers. So, I said you know what? We’re gonna throw our other pitcher at them. She’s phenomenal for us; she seems to get better as the game goes on, which is crazy. Most pitchers wear down, she just gets better.”

Locklear recorded team highs with three hits and three RBIs, while Blue finished with two hits and two RBIs. McKeithan and Dixon each recorded two hits each.

On March 16, the Lady Scots fell 2-1 against the Bulldogs in Bennettsville, but were able to completely flip the script at home.

While the performance was a confidence booster, Romaine said his team has to work on staying consistent.

“We bent again tonight on defense on a couple plays,” he said. “It seems like when we’ve bent…it’s been in games luckily we’ve had a run lead. I’m still stressed and scared it’s gonna bite us in the butt in that closer game on down the road. We’ve got some things to learn from that. We made a few baserunning mistakes tonight, but we’re getting better every game and at every practice, and that’s what I like about this group right here. We’re finding a way to gel together now and find a little bit of chemistry.”

The Lady Scots return to action on March 24 at 6 p.m. against the Lee County Yellow Jackets at home.