SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Greenbrier West prematurely celebrated a victory against Ritchie County.
It proved inconsequential as the Cavaliers were able to enjoy the end result a few minutes later as they secured a 6-5 victory over the Rebels at Rock Field B at Little Creek Park.
“We only lose two seniors and they’re key players for us, but we’re a very young team. For them to step up and not fold on this stage is huge and says a lot about them,” Cavaliers’ coach Steve Fields said.
Leading 6-2 at one point and by two runs to start the bottom of the seventh, the No. 7 seed Cavaliers thought they had turned a game-ending double play with outs at the plate and first, only to be ruled that the first baseman pulled her foot off the bag.
The play in question came after Rocklyn Marcum and Chelsie Jeffrey accounted for consecutive singles to spark No. 3 Ritchie (19-12) to start the bottom of the seventh. After both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, Ava Satterfield sent a ground ball to second that scored Marcum, moved Jeffrey to third and accounted for the first out.
Rindy Perkins then hit a ground ball on the infield and the Cavaliers produced what they thought was the second out at first and then the presumed final out at the plate, setting off a premature frenzied celebration.
Instead, Perkins was on first with two outs, and she would move into scoring position with a stolen base before getting to third on a wild pitch.
But GWHS (19-10) pitcher Brilee Redde kept her cool and induced a game-ending grounder to third off the bat of Emily Bush for the final out, allowing the Cavaliers to prolong their season at least one more game.
“We thought we had the double play with an out at first and the out at home. One of our coaches saw the first base umpire say that she’d pulled her foot. Everybody else lost it and thought the game was over,” Fields said. “I got different explanations from the home plate and first base umpires, but the first base umpire came over and explained what happened. It happens and she did pull her foot. You could see it and they saw it. Luckily, we ended up getting done what we needed to.”
One day after both teams suffered losses in their state tournament openers, both of which featured numerous weather delays, Greenbrier West never trailed in this one.
One day after a lengthy loss to Sherman that featured numerous weather delays, Greenbrier West never trailed against Ritchie.
A two-run single from Emma Edens in the top of the second allowed the Cavaliers to lead, though the Rebels got even in the fourth courtesy of a run-scoring triple from Cassy Hardbarger and a single from Abby Cox that scored Hardbarger to knot the contest at 2.
Any thought of Ritchie having assumed momentum vanished in the top of the fifth, however, when the Cavaliers regained the lead courtesy of a Kaelyn Bevins single through the middle that scored the go-ahead run. Greenbrier West doubled its advantage that inning on a run-scoring single from Jenna Hunter that left the Rebels trailing 4-2.
The lead grew to its largest of the matchup in the top of the sixth when Layla Williams and Diana Porter crossed the plate as a result of a Rebels’ error that made it a four-run margin.
“This weather is a lot better for hitting,” Fields said. “It felt like we were here for 20 hours yesterday. The girls were tired and just couldn’t pick it all the way back up in that game, but they responded in this one.”
Ritchie capitalized on a Greenbrier West error to score twice in the sixth, including once off a single from Kasslee Wass.
Although the Rebels put even more of a scare into the Cavaliers after turning a double play to end the seventh, they were unable to get over the hump in a season-ending setback.
Marcum had 11 strikeouts across five innings before giving way to Jeffrey, who allowed a pair of unearned runs over the final two frames.
Redden went the distance for West and surrendered 11 hits while striking out seven without issuing a base-on-balls.