CRAWLEY – After a 5-0 week to start the season, Greenbrier West’s schedule looked a little more daunting heading into week two. Up first for the Cavaliers was Class AAA power Woodrow Wilson. The Flying Eagles arrived in Crawley with a 2-2 record. Their pair of wins came against Liberty Raleigh and Oak Hill. Their losses, both one-run defeats, came at the hands of South Charleston and Greenbrier East.
The Flying Eagles would be facing Greenbrier West’s freshman standout pitcher Brilee Redden. Redden had struck out 30 batters and allowed only 4 hits in 13 1/3 innings pitched. Complicating Woodrow’s efforts was the fact that 2022 2nd team All State pitcher Aubrey Smallwood would not be in the circle. Smallwood had her wisdom teeth cut out the week before the matchup, so she gave way to freshman Jasmine Daubert to start at the pitcher’s position.
Redden got out to a quick start for the Cavaliers. Daubert went down on strikes after Redden got behind 3-0 in the count. Natalia Meade singled on an infield hit to the left side but Redden settled into strikeout both Smallwood and Brooklynn Bird.
Things looked promising for the Cavaliers as Brooke Patterson led off with a double to left field. Redden, however, flew out on the first pitch which froze Patterson at first. Preslee Treadway grounded out to Meade at short, advancing Patterson to third but Daubert got out of trouble when she induced a ground ball out from senior Emma Ames.
Woodrow found the sledding tough with Redden pumping in the strikes. Alexis Smith grounded out to Ames and Noelle Bragg flied out to Patterson in left field. Katelyn Hamb went down looking for the third out.
Daubert, though, was up to the challenge early and got Maddie Fields to ground out. Julia Herndon drew a four-pitch walk, but Daubert escaped any harm when Desteney Walker lined an out to the shortstop Meade and Herndon got caught off the bag, doubling up the Cavaliers at first and keeping the game scoreless through two innings.
Makinzi Lafferty struck out to start the top of the third inning but Redden briefly got in trouble when she issued a full count walk to Presley Bailey followed by a Daubert single to the left side. With two on and one out, Redden settled in to blow the ball past both Meade and Smallwood to end the half-inning.
Coming to the plate in a scoreless tie, West was ready to stretch their legs offensively. Kyndall Taylor led off with a grounder to the left side, but Meade was in position to field the ball and throw her out. Hannah Sweet responded with a single to Meade that she couldn’t field fast enough for the out. Daubert began to faulter slightly, allowing both Patterson and Redden to draw walks. Treadway stepped in with the bases loaded and delivered a sharp single to left side for an RBI and the game’s first run. With the bases still loaded, Ames executed a squeeze bunt that scored Patterson and left the bases juiced. Daubert proceeded to walk Maddie Fields for a 3-0 Cavalier advantage. Daubert recovered to strike out Herndon and Desteney Walker lined out to centerfield to end the inning.
Trailing for the first time in the game, Woodrow’s Bird tried to jumpstart the Flying Eagles with a single to the left side. Redden counterpunched with a strikeout of Smith for the first out. Bragg grounded out on a fielder’s choice to Desteney Walker and Redden did the rest, setting down Hamb to maintain the 3-0 lead.
The Cavaliers weren’t content and wanted to build on their lead. Woodrow head coach Tony Maiolo replaced Daubert with junior Presley Bailey. It wouldn’t take West long to take advantage. Adkins drew a lead-off walk and stole second with Sweet at the plate. Sweet singled to the right-side allowing Adkins to push another run across. Peyton Sprong grounded out to Meade, but Sweet advanced to third on the throw. Redden drew a one-out walk and stole second with Treadway in the box. It looked like West might squander a scoring opportunity when Treadway flew out to Hamb in right field and Sweet unable to tag on the play. Ames came through with a 2-RBI double, though, and the Cavaliers had some breathing room at 6-0. Fields grounded out to end the West threat.
Redden was special in the top of the fifth, sitting the Flying Eagles down in order with three strikeouts. Redden struck out 12 batters and only allowed 3 hits in a gem of an outing.
If the Cavaliers could push across two runs in the bottom of the fifth, they could end the contest early by the mercy rule. Herndon started things off with a ground ball to the right side. With Desteney Walker at the plate, Herndon moved into scoring position with a steal of second base. Walker insured a Herndon score when drove a ground ball into left field that turned into an RBI triple. Needing only a run with Walker only 60-feet away, Bailey recorded back-to-back strikeouts. Cavalier head coach Tony Hinkle called a squeeze with Patterson at the plate. A wild pitch thwarted Hinkle’s plan but not his desired result when Walker sprinted across the plate for the 8-0 win.
The Lady Cavaliers improved to 7-0 with the win. West faces traditionally powerful Nicholas County and sectional foe Charleston Catholic later in the week.
WW: 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 3 0
GW: 0 0 3 3 2 – 8 7 0
WW: Daubert and Bailey. GW: Redden and Herndon. WP – Redden LP – Daubert. WW: Daubert 1-3; Meade 1-3; Bird 1-2. GW: Sweet 2-3, RBI; Herndon 1-3; Ames 1-3, 2B, 3 RBI; Treadway 1-3, RBI; D. Walker 1-3, 3B, RBI; Patterson 1-2, 2B; Fields RBI.
