Julia Dockery’s Grand Slam Sends Dogs To Round 3
Team FYN Sports May 12, 2025
**Bulldogs Power Past Bethany with Late-Inning Slam in Round Two**
The Murphy Bulldogs are moving on! In a back-and-forth battle Friday night, the Bulldogs came up clutch late to take down Bethany Community 7-3 in the second round of the NCHSAA state playoffs.
Tied at three in the top of the sixth, Murphy’s Julia Dockery stepped up and absolutely crushed a grand slam to center field—putting the Bulldogs firmly in control and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Murphy got on the board early in the first, stringing together a couple of hits, including an RBI single from Aiden Smith. But Bethany didn’t go away quietly. Audrey Waddell launched a homer to left in the third inning, giving the Wolves a 3-1 lead.
The Bulldogs answered in the fifth. Emma Laney ripped a double to center that brought in the tying runs and set the stage for Dockery’s sixth-inning heroics.
Paisley Johnson was a force on the mound for Murphy, going the distance with seven strong innings, giving up just three runs while striking out nine. She also helped her own cause at the plate, collecting two hits.
Aiden Smith had a perfect night at the dish, going 3-for-3 and handling things smoothly on defense with 10 plays in the field. Murphy’s defense was sharp all game, not committing a single error.
Dockery led the offense with four RBIs, and her grand slam was the game-changer. Smith and Johnson also chipped in with key hits as the Bulldogs racked up 10 knocks on the night.
With the win, Murphy marches on to the third round, fired up and ready to keep their playoff run alive.
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