There are ways to open a season and then there is this one.

Facing visiting Fairfield Central to kick off both its regular and Region 4-AAA season, the Camden softball team pounded the Lady Griffins to the tune of 17-0 in a game stopped in the third inning by the 15-run rule at Marcus Warren Memorial Field.

Camden scored three times in the first, added a pair in the second before erupting for a dozen runs --- capped by junior Maddie McNeil’s game-ending grand slam --- in the home half of the third to bring the evening to an early close.

The Lady Bulldogs pounded FC pitching to the tune of 15 hits in the one-sided affair.

The visitors had no offense of which to speak as junior transfer Charlee Mullins threw a no-hitter in her Camden debut, striking out nine of the 10 batters she faced.  

In addition to McNeill’s walk-off blast, junior Latrell Jefferson went 3-for-3 with a double.  Mullins and freshman Brynn Dalton also had doubles while junior Mytiece Allen went  had two hits in as many at-bats for Lynn Looney’s charges.  

On Wednesday, Camden returned from Columbia with a 6-5 loss after falling to A.C. Flora in a non-region game.

The visitors hurt themselves by committing five errors, but remained within striming distance in a back and forth contest.

A.C. Flora went ahead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring on an error, then held the Lady Bulldogs off in the top of the seventh to secure the win. 

Jolie Clyburn got the mound start for Camden and went the first three innings, allowing four runs while fanning three.  Charlee Mullins came in in relief and gave up two runs while striking out seven.  

 Clyburn  paced the Camden offense, going 2-for-4 while driving in two runs. Joy Back had a hit while scoring twice. Latrell Jefferson had a sacrifice with an RBI and a stolen base

Camden will play in North Central’s “Beat Cancer With a Bat” tournament on Saturday at the Larry Doby Athletic Complex in Camden.