RALEIGH —After a quick start to the Powerade State Games softball competition, the Region 4 team that included West Bladen’s Alanna Ludlum and Laikyn Pait finished in fourth place among the eight regions of the state.

Region 4 won its first two games on Tuesday, with Pait and Ludlum each contributing in a big way, but the team fell twice on Wednesday — first in the final game of the round-robin competition, then in the bronze-medal game.

In the first game, Region 3 handed Region 4 its first loss by a 12-2 margin, knocking Region 4 into second place in the bracket.

Later in the day, Region 4 battled Region 5 in the bronze-medal game and came up short, 5-3. Region 5’s pitcher was twirling a no-hitter through four innings until Pait began a two-run rally in the fifth with the team’s first hit.

Region 4 finished the State Games 2-2 overall.