Big 2nd inning pushes Enka past West Carteret in G1 of the 5A softball championship

DURHAM, N.C. — Enka High School jumped out to a big lead, watched it go away, and turned it back on late to secure a game-one, 11-5 win in the NCHSAA 5A softball championship series.

The (1) Jets rode the arm of sophomore pitcher Savannah Frisbee early, and got some timely runs late in the game to hold off a comeback by (6) West Carteret.

The best-of-three series will continue on Thursday at Smith Family Stadium on the campus of Duke University at 2 p.m.

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Frisbee averaged 65 miles per hour on her pitches, striking out nine of the first 12 batters she faced. The Patriots didn’t get a hit until the fourth inning, but were already trailing by seven at that point. Frisbee finished with 10 strikeouts.

“Our pitcher had a great first, second and third inning,” Jets’ coach Todd Coggins said. “Then I stuck a freshman in there; she’s probably pitched five or six innings for us all year. Putting her in this spot, she settled in and battled for her team.”

Enka (24-3) finished the game with 10 hits, while Frisbee and Paisley Clemmons only combined to give up four hits.

Enka scored its first two runs on passed balls, and got its first earned run on a single from Baylee Edney. Kerrigan Phillips laid down a bunt to drive in another run and the Patriots found themselves down four runs. The Jets then stole home to quickly make it 5-0.

• View Photos: West Carteret vs. Enka, Game 1 (May 27, 2026). HSOT Insiders can download championship photos for free. Here's how.

Frisbee, who started the inning with a hit, came back up. She drew a walk, and Reagan Stroupe stepped out of the way of another wild pitch to make the score 6-0.

In the top of the third, Frisbee struck out three of the four batters she faced. The first batter, Aubrey Forsythe, drew a walk before Frisbee struck out the final three.

West Carteret got its first hit of the game in the top of the fourth when Ella Grace Rodriquez got on base with a single.

The hit by Rodriquez must have gotten something going for the Patriots. Merrell drove in two runs with a single to get West Carteret on the board, making it a five-run (7-2) lead by the Jets.

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West Carteret loaded the bases with consecutive singles and a walk, and got on the board when Frisbee walked Merrell, making the score 7-4 in favor of the Jets. Aubrey Forsythe got the same treatment, drawing a second straight walk to make it a two-run game.

The Patriots pulled within two runs on a wild pitch before Enka made a change on the mound, bringing in Clemmons. Enka regained momentum, matching West Carteret’s three runs with three of their own.

Kerrigan Phillips and Baylee Edney each drove in runs, and the Jets got a third run on a wild pitch. Enka added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, when Kelsie West scored a run with a single.

“I was proud of how they battled back,” Coggins said. “We got some run support and came back and took this ball game. We needed this first one.”

Coggins and his crew now will rest up and hope this momentum carries over to game two of the series.

“It’s my first time here; it’s all their first time here,” Coggins said. “I’ve just been trying to get them to settle in, enjoy the moment, not make any moment too big. They battled for this for a long time, and they deserve to be here. If we can keep settling in, we’ll take care of business.”

Box Score

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