FAIRLEA- Senior night was held for the Greenbrier East Lady Spartans softball team on Tuesday evening, April 28 at Spartan Field in Fairlea prior to their matchup with the Alleghany (VA) Lady Cougars.
Greenbrier East first recognized four Alleghany seniors–Kaylee Nicely, Peyton Broughman, Addyson Neff, and Emma Skidmore– then honored their only two this year in Haylee Heaster and Norah Ambler.
After the dedications to each girl, the game got underway and it started as a pitcher’s duel as East’s Kennah Collins and Alleghany’s Emma Skidmore were locked in and throwing well.
Alleghany (10-3) eventually got on the scoreboard first on a Greenbrier East error as Skidmore came across the plate to score and the Cougars took a 1-0 lead after three.
They extended that lead in the top half of the fifth when Nicely hit an RBI single that scored Maddie Lowry and gave the Cougars a 2-0 advantage. Then, after a walk to Brianna Terrell, Broughman ripped a double to left that scored Nicely and Alleghany had pushed their lead to 3-0.
Skidmore struck out the side in the fifth and made it look rather easy, but Greenbrier East (12-9) came alive in the bottom of the sixth, finally found the scoreboard and got to the Cougars’ ace a little bit.
Ambler singled to lead off the Spartan inning and immediately after, Reagan Cline doubled to center. Ambler would then score on a passed ball and Lacy Patriacca hit a sacrifice fly that scored Cline and the Lady Spartans trimmed their deficit to just 3-2 heading to the seventh.
In the end, they didn’t need it, but the Cougars got themselves an insurance run when Broughman scored on a line drive base hit from Callie Uzzell to make it 4-2.
Skidmore then sat the Spartans down in order in the bottom half as the Cougars got an impressive road victory.
Nicely led Alleghany at the plate and went 2-4 with a run and 2 RBI. Skidmore was terrific again on the mound and pitched the whole seven innings, allowed six hits, two runs, and had nine strikeouts.
The Spartans were led by Cline’s 2-3 night at the plate. She also scored a run. Collins was solid on the mound for East and lasted 4.2 innings, gave up four hits, two earned runs and struck out two. She walked five.
Greenbrier East will play Herbert Hoover at home this Thursday, April 30.
Alleghany goes to Staunton that same day.
Box Score:
