FAIRLEA- It was a busy day on the softball field at Greenbrier East on Saturday, March 16 as the Lady Spartans played two games in a double header with the Logan Lady Wildcats.
In game one, East lost a late lead and suffered an 8-6 loss in eight innings, but in game two they turned the tide and erased a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 come-from-behind victory.
In the opener, on a perfect weather day, Logan jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Addison Brumfield stole home. But the Spartans answered in the bottom half in a big way with five runs. It started with Aly Martin, who ripped a line drive hit to center field that brought Gracie Gumm home who had gotten on base with a walk to lead off the inning. A few batters later, Taylor Boswell singled and that scored Reagan Cline. Kayla Bartley then capped the inning with a hard 2-run single and the Spartans took a 5-1 lead after two frames.
However, the Wildcats came right back with two runs in the third. An RBI double from Lacy Curry and another one from Brumfield brought Logan back into the game at 5-3.
In the bottom of the fourth, with the Spartans clinging to a 5-4 lead, the momentum shifted momentarily when the freshman Cline belted a towering solo home run to lead off. That gave East an extra cushion with a 6-4 lead.
An RBI single from Curry cut the Logan deficit to 6-5 in the sixth and in the seventh they tied it up at 6-all when the talented Brumfield blasted a home run over the right field fence.
The Spartans had a semi rally going in their final regular at-bat but left two runners on base when Gumm struck out, and the game headed to extra innings. That is when Logan picked up their final two runs of the day on Curry’s RBI single and starting pitcher Harlee Quick’s steal of home plate.
Freshman Myleigh Adkins struck East out in order in the bottom half to wrap up the Logan victory.
Bartley (1-2, 2 RBIs) and Cline (1-3, HR, 2 runs, RBI) led the Spartan offense.
Bartley took the loss on the mound. She went three innings, gave up 5 hits, 4 runs (2 earned) and struck out 4.
Adkins was credited with the win for Logan. She pitched four innings in relief, allowed just 1 hit and struck out 10.
Scoreless through five innings in the nightcap and down 3-0, the Spartans (2-1) woke up, came alive, and scored four runs in the sixth. It started with Bartley’s solo home run that cut the Logan lead to 3-1. Lily Carola then singled, Gumm walked, and Hailey Heaster came through with a big 2-run double to left that scored Carola and Gumm. Two batters later, Alanis McClary scored Heaster with an RBI single, and the Spartans took a 4-3 lead.
Just like the St. Albans game the night before, Logan loaded the bases with one out with the score identical to that game as well. And just like Friday, the Spartans prevailed. Carola struck out Curry and Quick flied out to Hailey Ervin in right field and the Spartans split the day.
Bartley and Heaster paced the offensive attack. Bartley was 2-3 with the home run. Heaster went 1-1, with a run scored, a double and 2 RBIs.
Carola was excellent on the mound. She pitched the last 4.1 innings and gave up just 4 hits and 2 unearned runs. She struck out 2 and picked up the win.
Adkins went 2-4 with 2 RBIs for Logan (1-2).
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