CHARLESTON, WV- With a chance to close out the series and coast into the state tournament, the Greenbrier East Lady Spartans fell short at George Washington in game two of the Region 3, Section 2 regional series, 8-4.
East took an early lead, fell behind, tied it up, but eventually came up on the wrong end of the scoreboard.
With a scoreless game after two innings, the Spartans took an early lead in the third. Gracie Gumm led the inning off with a single and two batters later, Hailey Ervin smacked an RBI single that brought Gumm home. East led 1-0 at that point.
Lily Carola, who started pitching, did exactly what she needed to in the following half inning and retired the Patriot batters in order, to give her offense another chance to put runs on the board.
However, momentum swung quickly against the Spartans. Back-to-back singles from Lindsey Black and Taylor Boswell put East in perfect position to add some runs, but a fielder’s choice out, a pickoff of Carola at first and a groundout by Alanis McClary ended the frame, and unfortunately, the Pats answered.
Passion Holley crushed an 0-2 pitch for a solo home run to tie the game at 1-all, Nat Tomblin and Addie Armstrong singled, and then Karalyne Wade also singled and knocked in two runs, and GW took a 3-1 lead. They extended it to 4-1 when Wade eventually scored on a wild pitch.
However, as the Spartans typically do, they countered with a big offensive inning of their own. Olivia Plybon, Gumm and Jenna Groves had three straight singles to open the fifth with Plybon scoring on Groves hit. Ha. Ervin then doubled home Gumm and Groves, and just like that, the game was tied at 4-apiece.
A 2-run homer from Armstrong in the bottom of the fifth began the Patriots final rally. They would add two more in the sixth on hits from Tomblin and Armstrong again, and the Spartans watched the series tie at 1-1.
Gumm went 3-3 with two runs scored. Ha. Ervin knocked in three on 2-3 at the plate and Groves was 1-3 with an RBI.
Carola pitched 3.2 innings and allowed five hits and four runs. Josi Ervin relieved her and threw 2.1 innings, allowed six hits, four runs and struck out three.
Armstrong (3-4, HR, 2 runs, 3 RBIs), Holley (2-3, HR, 3 runs, RBI), Tomblin (2-4, run, RBI) and Wade (2-4, run, 2 RBIs) did all of the damage for GW.
Tomorrow, Friday, May 19, is the decisive game three at 6:00 PM at Spartan Field. It will be arguably the biggest game in Spartan softball history as East has a chance, with a win, to clinch their first ever state tourney berth. Get to the field early, the place will be packed.