LINDSIDE (WVDN) – Greenbrier West lost a heartbreaking 12-11 decision to James Monroe Friday night in walk-off fashion. After leading the game for 6 1/2 innings, the Cavaliers saw their 11-8 lead vanish in the bottom of the seventh when Maverick freshman Bryleigh Thomas delivered the game-winning contact to score Shannon Phipps. Although the West bats remained hot with 12 hits, eight Cavalier errors doomed their effort.
Greenbrier West got out to an early 2-0 lead when Desteney Walker smacked an RBI single to score Preslee Treadway followed by a Brooke Nutter score on a bases loaded walk by Michaela Alley. Maverick pitcher Shannon Phipps issued three walks in the inning, providing scoring opportunities for the Cavaliers in a one-hit inning. Phipps recovered to force a Maddie Fields groundout and back-to-back strikeouts to stop the early West surge.James Monroe answered in the bottom of the first with a Phipps score when the Cavaliers committed their second error of the inning. Leadoff hitter Morgan Vass reached on the first error but was later thrown out on a fielder’s choice. Haley Hunnicutt blistered a ball to third base that was mishandled allowing the Phipps run to score.
After both teams traded a scoreless second inning, the Cavaliers bats began to warm up against the relief pitching of Thomas. Braelee Brown singled followed by an Alley walk. Fields collected an RBI single followed by a Kyndall Taylor RBI single that scored Alley. After Karli Holliday struck out on a foul tip for the first out, a sacrifice fly by Hannah Sweet scored Fields. Treadway drew the second West walk of the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brooke Nutter reached first on a dropped third strike with Taylor scoring on the play. Walker lined out to end the top half of the second, but Greenbrier West led 6-1 in the middle of the inning.
The Mavericks fought back in the bottom of the second with two runs of their own. Phipps led off with a double and scored on a fielder’s choice. Emily Bailey drew a two-out walk and scored on an RBI double by Kaydence Weikle.
The Cavaliers tacked on two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Brown led off with a single followed by two West groundouts. Taylor singled to centerfield and collected a two-out RBI on Brown’s run. Holliday then drove the softball to centerfield for an RBI double, scoring Taylor for the 8-3 lead.
Nutter led off the Cavalier fifth inning with a triple to centerfield and scored on a fielder’s choice. Leading 9-3, errors would cost the Cavaliers two runs in the bottom half. Thomas reached on the first of two West errors, followed by a ground out and subsequent error at second base. Weikle grounded out on a fielder’s choice by Nutter, scoring Thomas. Madison Booth singled Bailey home before Holliday ended the inning with an assist for the third out. The Cavaliers led 9-5 after five complete.
Greenbrier West set out to build on their four-run lead in the sixth inning. Taylor led off with a single and advanced around the bases on a steal and a wild pitch. Holliday brought Taylor home on a sacrifice fly followed by a Sweet strikeout. With two outs, Treadway singled and stole her way to third on two consecutive pitches. Nutter stroked a triple to left field, plating a treadway run for an 11-5 lead.
With an uphill climb ahead of them, James Monroe went to work. Vass was hit by a pitch followed by a Phipps walk. Thomas singled to score Vass and Phipps scored when Hunnicutt grounded into a fielder’s choice. Bailey followed that by grounding into a fielder’s choice of her own, but scored Thomas in the process. The Cavaliers momentarily stopped the bleeding when Weikle grounded out to end the sixth leading 11-8.
A promising start to the seventh ended quickly for Greenbrier West. Brown drew a lead-off walk but was thrown out at second on a fielder’s choice. Fields would ground out followed by a Taylor fly ball to centerfield for out number three. The three-run lead would have to hold up for a Cavalier victory.
The Mavericks had other ideas. Booth started things off when she reached base after being hit by a Taylor fastball. Jadyn Bradley grounded out, advancing Booth to second. The seventh Cavalier error of the game allowed Chole Shires to reach base and Booth to score. Vass scored Shires when she laced a triple to right field followed by a Phipps triple to centerfield that scored Vass. The game was suddenly knotted up at 11.
In a recurring theme for the Cavaliers on this evening, an error would decide the outcome of the game. Thomas put the ball in play but it was misplayed by Greenbrier West. Phipps scored and the Mavericks had their walk-off winner.
Greenbrier West fell to 5-4 with the loss. The Cavaliers travel to Woodrow Wilson on Wednesday and return home on Thursday evening to host Richwood. The Mavericks improved to 7-3 and host Mt. View on Wednesday night.
Greenbrier West 2 0 4 2 1 2 0 – 11 12 8
James Monroe 1 0 2 0 2 3 4 – 12 7 1
Pitchers and catchers – GW: Michaela Alley, Kyndall Taylor and Preslee Treadway; JM: Shannon Phipps, Bryleigh Thomas and Shailyn Wickline. WP –Thomas LP- Taylor
Hitting – GW: Treadway 1-3, Nutter 3-5 (2 RBI) 3B, Walker 1-5, Brown 2-3 RBI, Fields 1-5 RBI, Taylor 3-4 (2 RBI), Holliday 1-4 (2 RBI); JM: Vass 1-3 RBI, Phipps 2-3 RBI, Thomas 1-4 RBI, Hunnicutt RBI, Bailey RBI, Weikle 1-4 (2 RBI), Booth 1-3, Bradley 1-3, Shires RBI.
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