varsity.roanoke.com

There was suspense in only one of the games in the Blue Ridge District softball tournament Wednesday.

Top-seeded Northside, seeking its seventh straight district tournament crown, erupted for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally past fourth-seeded William Byrd 4-1 in the first semifinal.

"I was getting real nervous," Northside catcher Kalyn Thornburg said.

There wasn't as much drama in the second semifinal at Northside. Lord Botetourt cruised past No. 2 seed Alleghany 6-1 to clinch a berth in next week's Region III tournament.

Northside (16-5), which clinched a regional bid as the Blue Ridge regular-season champ, will host the Cavaliers (17-5) in the district final at 5:15 p.m. Friday.

In the first game, Lara Wise of William Byrd (10-12) had a two-hit shutout going until the sixth. After singles by Lindsey Jarrett and Christine Rolfe, Thornburg smacked an RBI double off the center field fence to tie the score at 1. Rolfe scored on Kayla Price's grounder, beating the tag at the plate. Priscilla Dooley had an RBI infield single and Kaitlyn Hamelton lofted a run-scoring sacrifice fly.

"I just kept praying that we'd come around hitting ... and we finally did," Jarrett said. "We always come through somehow."

Jarrett (16-5) gave up three hits in the first, including Brittany Sensabaugh's RBI single, but allowed only one hit the rest of the way.

"I was throwing a little crazy in the beginning," Jarrett said. "I just had to sit there and calm myself down."

Junior third baseman Lauren Hall had three hits, including two homers, to lead No. 3 Lord Botetourt over Alleghany (16-5).

Hall doubled, advanced on an error and scored on a grounder to give the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead in the second. She belted a solo shot to left to extend the lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Her two-run homer to center gave the Cavaliers a 6-0 cushion in the sixth.

The homers were the first two of Hall's softball career.

"I was surprised," she said.

Hall bats eighth in the order, having been demoted from the fifth spot halfway through the season.

"She sees a lot better pitches [at No.8] because people relax - it's 'Oh, 7-8-9,'" Cavaliers coach Christina Porter said.

Lauren Snead struck out 13 batters in six innings to improve to 7-1. She allowed four hits, a run and a walk.

William Byrd100 000 0-1 4 0

Northside000 004 x-4 6 1

Wise and Dillard; Jarrett and Thornburg. W- Jarrett (16-5). L- Wise (6-9).

Lord Botetourt001 113 0-6 7 2

Alleghany000 001 0-1 4 2

Snead, Smith (7) and Walls; Allman, Martin (6) and Nida. W- Snead (7-1). L- Allman (8-5). HRs- LB: Hall 2 (1, 2).