WEST UNION, W.Va. — Doddridge County delivered when it mattered most to earn a marquee win over Wahama.
Down to their last out, the Class AA No. 4 Bulldogs produced consecutive singles that generated three runs to score a 6-5 come-from-behind walk-off victory against the Class A No. 2 White Falcons.
Wahama (17-3) led by two runs on separate occasions, including at 5-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning after Elissa Hoffman singled home Audrey Reynolds for insurance in the top half of the frame.
Hoffman then induced a groundout to start the home half of the seventh, leaving her team two outs from victory.
But Mayson Gagnon and Olivia See accounted for back-to-back singles to put the tying run on base, and with both in scoring position with two outs, Brooke DeHaven beat out an infield single to shortstop that produced a pair of runs, the second of which See scored from second base after never hesitating around third.
DeHaven, a freshman, stole second base and scored seconds later on a close play at the plate off of Caitlyn Pratt’s sharp single to center.
“We run the bases well. They’re pretty speedy as well, but they execute on the bases and do what they’re supposed to do, and we’re typically able to manufacture a run or two throughout the game,” Bulldogs’ head coach Wesley Ezell said. “Down two in the last inning against a really good team, being able to score three runs to win the game, you can’t say enough about their heart and hustle.”
The Bulldogs (19-3) jumped out to a 2-0 lead courtesy of four straight singles in the first inning. The latter two came from Pratt and freshman Kamryn Satterfield, with each driving in a run.
But Hoffman settled in starting in the second, and after a Wahama error to begin that inning, she would retire 12 straight batters through the end of the fifth.
“They’re probably the best team we’ve faced this year all around,” Ezell said. “They made a couple of boo boos early, but they bounced back and performed flawlessly after that.”
The White Falcons couldn’t crack Doddridge starting pitcher Tessa Mayle until the fourth, when WHS produced three runs on hits in four consecutive at bats off the freshman to go in front. Audrey Reynolds provided the third of those four hits on what marked a third straight Wahama single, allowing Kalyn Christian to score her team’s first run. Hoffman followed with a ground rule double to left that brought home Kate Reynolds, and Mary Brinker overcame an 0-2 count to draw a bases loaded walk, leaving Doddridge facing its first deficit at 3-2.
It became a two-run margin in the fifth when Reynolds singled home Fiona Van Matre, but Wahama had a pair of baserunners in scoring position with one out and failed to add to its lead.
Wahama left the bases loaded in the sixth and the Bulldogs finally got to Hoffman again in that inning. DeHaven led off with a double and scored on Satterfield’s bunt single, but with two in scoring position and no outs, Hoffman got Isabelle Holtz to line into a double play and then induced a ground ball off the bat of Madison Curran for the final out to keep the White Falcons in front for the time being.
“It’s a good game to have late in the season and especially for us having that road test,” Wahama head coach Wes Riffle said. “Doddridge is tough no matter where you play them and you know you’re going to play a team that plays clean, hard ball. They like to play small ball, and try to get runners in scoring position when they can. I don’t ever get too torn up over a loss. We can take a lot of good things. We played good defense and our bats came along after our first time through the lineup. I definitely was not disappointed in the way we played.”
Mayle allowed 11 hits, struck out six and walked four over seven innings.
Hoffman did not record a strikeout, walked one and was tagged for 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings.
“We put the ball in play and when you put the ball in play, good things happen,” Ezell said. “We have to do a better job of minimizing pop ups, but they did a great job of putting it in play.”
DeHaven led Doddridge with three hits, two of which were doubles, while Pratt and Satterfield added two hits apiece. Esch of the aforementioned trio drove in two runs.
Christian and Reynolds led Wahama with three hits each.
Ten of Wahama’s 11 hits came from the fourth inning on.
“Just a matter of getting the eyes on her and timing it up, adjusting to the zone a little bit and making some adjustments in the box,” Riffle said. “Our girls put the ball in play and hit the ball well.”