ONA, W.Va. — Defending Class AAAA state champion Cabell Midland saw three leads disappear against Hurricane in their South Region co-final, including one when the Knights were one out away from returning to the state tournament.
However, CMHS walked it off in the bottom of the seventh to secure a trip to South Charleston on June 2 with a 7-6 win over the Redskins.
With the game tied at 6 in the bottom of the seventh, No. 9 batter Karlee Salmons stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Salmons’ second hit of the game ended the contest as pinch runner Charlie Adkins scored from third base with the winning run.
“She had a hot bat tonight. She really did,” said Cabell Midland head coach Herman Beckett of Salmons.
Cabell Midland (24-2) held leads of 1-0, 4-2 and 6-4 before closing out the game. With the game tied at 4 in the bottom of the sixth, the Knights used a run-scoring single from Becca Conrad and a sacrifice fly from Jerica Noe to take a 6-4 lead into the seventh.
Down to their last out, Hurricane’s Kiley Jones strided to the plate with a runner on base. She delivered her second two-run base hit of the game. This time, it was a two-run homer to even the score at 6. Jones went 2-for-4 with a double.
“You’re always apprehensive because anything can happen. Luckily for us, the bottom part of the lineup came through for us. And we live to play again,” Beckett said.
Cabell Midland outhit Hurricane, 12-7.
Both starting pitchers went the distance. Hurricane’s Kate Justice struck out six batters in 6.1 innings. Cabell Midland’s Drea Watts struck out 11 batters.
Conrad led the Knights at the plate with three hits and she scored twice. Kalissa Hess and Kenzie Kessell each had two hits.
Cabell Midland and George Washington are the first two teams to secure state tournament spots. Hurricane (17-9) will face the winner of Thursday’s Huntington-Riverside game later this week for one of the South Region tickets to the state tourney.
“We played a good team tonight. We really did. We both deserve to be there. I think [Hurricane head coach] Meghan [Stevens] and them will get there.
“Both teams played well and good enough to win. Our whole lineup contributed tonight. That’s the main thing. In fact, the whole team did. Girls that came in to run, they contributed. Everybody contributed and we are just proud to get out of here with a victory.”