CRAWLEY – The Class A, Region III, Section II softball tournament has been in a holding pattern since Tuesday night. Unseasonably cold temperatures and wet weather held up quarterfinal play and postponed the games to Thursday night. It would have been easy to think there would be no suspense in the matchup. Greenbrier West had met Richwood twice during the regular season, winning by a combined score of 27-0 in only 8 ½ innings of play. As the old axiom goes, though, that’s why they play the games.
The Cavaliers were playing for the first time since April 26. In the eight days since that regular season finale, Greenbrier West was relegated to a lot of gym practices. The cold, wet weather forced head coach Tony Hinkle to prepare his team as he would in March preseason practices. Gym fundamentals are good, but there’s nothing like being on the field. Richwood opened sectional play with a Monday win over Webster County, so the Lumberjacks had gotten some much-needed field time. The effects were evident.
Greenbrier West senior pitcher Michaela Alley had faced the Lumberjacks in both regular season matchups between the schools. Alley tossed a no-hitter in the Cavaliers’ 17-0 win on April 19, striking out 6 in the process. In West’s 10-0 season-opening win on March 20, Alley K’d seven Richwood batters and allowed only one hit. Alley seemed to have the pulse of the Lumberjack hitters, but her grip would be tested.
Alley faced some adversity early as the Lumberjacks found some pop at the plate. After a lead-off bunt produced an out, sophomore Ivy Groves doubled to centerfield. Katie Stanley made the two-bagger pay off when she doubled to left field and scored Groves. Alley recouped to strike out Kendyl Giles, but Sophie Smalley gapped a singled to right field that plated a run by Stanley for an early 2-0 advantage. Alley closed out the Lumberjacks with another strikeout, but West faced an unexpected deficit to begin their postseason.
The Cavalier bats would not awaken in the bottom of the first. Brooke Patterson hit a weak pop up for out number one followed by a line out to centerfield from Brilee Redden. Preslee Treadway converted a full count into nine-pitch walk, but Stanley set down Julia Herndon to end the inning.
Alley asserted herself in the second inning with a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a ground out for a one-two-three inning. Possibly inspired by her teammate’s shutdown inning, Emma Ames provided the Cavaliers with some instant offense. Ames put West on the scoreboard, crushing a 1-1 pitch and driving it over the left field fence. The excitement was short-lived, however, as Stanley rebounded to set down the next three Cavalier batters. Richwood led 2-1 after two complete.
After an uneventful third inning in which both teams went three up, three down, Alley induced two ground outs and a fly out in the top of the fourth inning. Stanley answered, getting pop outs from both Treadway and Herndon. Once again, Ames provided the punch to score a Cavalier run. Ames barreled up a 1-0 Stanley fast ball and launched it over the centerfield fence. Stanley bounced back to get the third out, but the Ames blast knotted the score at 2-2.
The resilient Lumberjacks wouldn’t waste time pressuring the Cavaliers. Sarah Amick and Emily Browning started things off with back-to-back singles. Lilly Bragg then drew a full count walk to load the bases. With no outs and the bases juiced, Alley’s back was against the wall. A fly ball to right field looked like it would at the very least turn into a sac fly, but West’s Brooklyn Adkins turned it into a slick nine to three double play instead. The Lumberjack baserunners all took off on contact and had to retreat when Adkins angled under the ball to make the catch. Adkins came up firing and shot down Lilly at first base. Ivy Groves salvaged a run for Richwood when she singled to centerfield, but Alley struck out Stanley to end the threat of what could have been much worse for West.
Down 3-2, the Cavaliers immediately went to work at the plate. Adkins followed up her stellar play in the field with a double to centerfield. Alley helped her own cause when she sliced a ball into the right corner for an RBI-triple, tying the game at 3. Hannah Sweet gave West its first lead when she lined a grounded back to Stanley. Stanley looked Alley’s way at third before throwing Sweet out at first. Alley broke for home on the throw and slid in under the tag to give the Cavaliers a 4-3 lead. Stanley showed a lot of resolve, though, and struck out Patterson before taking a rocket off the bat of Redden. Redden would advance to third but Stanley forced Treadway to fly out to Delaney White to end the inning.
Armed with a 4-3 lead, Alley went to work try to seal the win for West. Alley navigated around a pair of walks to get through the inning unscathed.
Trailing for the first time, Stanley served up a fastball that Herndon drove to the left field fence. Amick had to break for the foul line to reel in Herndon’s blast, saving what surely would have been a double. Ames, 2-2 with 2 home runs, was the next up for Greenbrier West. Lumberjack head coach Doris Smith had seen enough of the senior slugger, so she instructed her battery to issue an intentional walk. The strategy would turn out to be a wise one. Ames advanced to second and then on to third with Desteney Walker at the plate, and Walker ended up drawing a walk. Walker stole second without much resistance. Adkins caught the ball with her handle and flied out to Ivy Groves at second. Following the play, Ames found herself in a rundown between third and home. Ames reversed direction five times, getting closer to home with each shift. Ames finally made a diving attempt at the plate but was called out. Smith’s strategy had worked.
Down to their final at-bat, the Lumberjacks quickly dug themselves a hole when Alley struck out Bragg on three straight pitches and Kelsie Fields popped out to Herndon. Richwood’s chances now hinged on Groves ability to get on base. Groves jumped on the first pitch and singled into centerfield. Stanley, who had done her part in the circle, would get her moment at the dish. Stanley stroked an 0-2 pitch into left field, and it would be just what the Lumberjacks needed. Stanley’s hit was misplayed and allowed Groves to score, tying the game at 4. Possibly unsettled by the play, Alley walked Giles but recovered to induce a ground ball out to end the top half of the inning.
Alley helped the West cause with a leadoff walk. Sweet then blooped a shallow fly ball toward second, freezing the Richwood defenders and putting runners at first and second. Stanley stymied Patterson with a three-pitch strikeout. Redden stepped in the box with one out needing to advance the runners. In a season that has seen her produce big moments as an ace hurler, Redden delivered with her bat. She crushed an 0-1 pitch to left-center, narrowly missing on a 3-run home run. Her RBI double did produce a walk-off win for West.
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