ENC Lady Bulldogs 2033/2034

09/13/2026

09/13/2026

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Sometimes we think OUR GIRLS fall in love with softball because of softball.

The hitting.

The pitching.

The diving catches.

The tournaments.

And sure…

that’s part of it. 🥎❤️

But then you watch a team between games.

And you start wondering.

Because nobody is hitting.

Nobody is pitching.

Nobody is keeping score.

They’re sitting on the ground outside the dugout sharing fries.

Trading hair ties.

Taking approximately 47 pictures before finding ONE everybody approves of. 😂

One girl is fixing another girl’s braid.

Someone is laughing so hard she can’t explain what happened.

Two girls who didn’t know each other three months ago now have an inside joke nobody else on Earth understands.

And suddenly you realize:

Maybe THIS is part of why she keeps coming back.

Not just the game.

The people.

There’s something special about softball friendships.

These girls see each other in moments most school friends never will.

They see the strikeout.

The error.

The tears behind the sunglasses.

The first home run.

The terrible tournament breakfast.

The 6:30 AM warmup when nobody should legally be expected to have a personality yet. 😂

They see each other nervous.

Frustrated.

Exhausted.

Confident.

Embarrassed.

Proud.

And somewhere between all those innings…

they learn each other.

She learns which teammate needs a pep talk.

Which one needs a joke.

Which one needs silence.

Which one always forgets her hair tie.

Which one will steal half her fries and then swear she only had two.

That’s not something you see in a box score.

But parents see it.

We see OUR GIRL walk into a new team a little unsure of where she belongs.

Then one afternoon we look over…

and she’s sitting in the middle of a pile of softball bags, laughing like she has known these girls forever.

That moment matters.

Because growing up is full of places where girls wonder:

Do I fit here?

And sometimes softball answers:

Yep. Right here. Scoot over.

Maybe every teammate won’t become a lifelong friend.

Teams change.

Families move.

Girls choose different schools.

Different levels.

Different sports.

Life does what life does.

But some of them will stay.

Someday two grown women may sit across from each other and laugh about a tournament neither one can remember whether they won.

They won’t remember the score.

But they’ll remember the hotel.

The dugout.

The ridiculous cheers.

The long drives.

The snacks.

The dirt.

The girl who sat beside them through all of it.

So yes…

we signed her up to learn softball.

But if somewhere along the way she finds people who teach her how it feels to belong…

that might be one of the best things we ever paid a registration fee for. ❤️

She came for the game.

She found her people.

It was never just softball.

© PASSION-FOR-SPORTS.COM

09/11/2026

Where were you? ❤️💙

09/02/2026

Had to end practice early due to the lighting and this guy showing up! 🌧️

Wow check out this shelf cloud from New Bern this evening!

Photo: Brandon Armstrong!

08/28/2026

Happy Birthday Coach Mike! Thanks for all you do! We appreciate you! 💚💙

08/25/2026

Not that we play enough top gun to truly show our girls ability but happy promotion day due to our gold bracket win in shipyard 😊

08/23/2026

Annual Bulldogs Pool Party at the Foremans!
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08/21/2026

Bulldogs Survive Lady Rays in the Game of the Weekend, Then Capture Top Gun Gold

Some championship weekends are remembered for the final game.

This one will be remembered for the game before it.

The ENC Lady Bulldogs walked away as the Top Gun Gold Bracket Champions at Shipyard Park in Charleston, South Carolina, but in my opinion, the championship game of the weekend wasn’t the title game—it was their semifinal showdown against the Carolina Lady Rays 10U Polanco.

I was there.

I watched both teams battle in what turned into one of the best games of the tournament. The energy, the pitching, the defense, the crowd, and the dramatic ending made it feel like the championship had already arrived.

The Bulldogs entered the matchup riding plenty of momentum, but they knew they had another challenge ahead. Earlier in the tournament, they had defeated Clemson Cadence 7-0 and Smithfield Smashers 18-0 before falling 5-1 to the Lady Rays in pool play. That set the stage for a winner-take-all rematch with a trip to the championship on the line.

From the very first pitch, it became obvious neither team was going to give an inch.

It quickly turned into a classic pitcher’s duel.

ENC’s Scarlett M. was outstanding in the circle, throwing a complete-game three-hitter while striking out nine Lady Rays hitters. She consistently worked ahead in the count and made it extremely difficult for Carolina’s lineup to put together any momentum.

On the other side, Lady Rays pitcher Charlie was every bit as impressive.

Charlie struck out seven Bulldogs while allowing just three hits through 2⅔ innings. She kept one of the hottest offenses in the tournament quiet and gave her team every opportunity to win.

For two innings, both pitchers controlled the game.

Every strikeout brought louder cheers.

Every defensive play seemed bigger than the last.

Neither team committed a single error, proving why both deserved to be playing deep into Championship Sunday.

The turning point finally came in the top of the third inning.

Read full article on www.necterrmedia.com
Link in Necterr (coach Nick) bio