The James River girls went on the road last Friday evening to Ringgold to face Dan River in the first round of Group 2, Region C softball playoff action. The Wildcats fought back from an early deficit to win, 6-5, in walk-off fashion.
For the Knights, it was Déjà Vu – another game where they led early, saw their lead being chipped away and could not get a timely hit to continue to score.
“We came ready to play, we played extremely hard, and we never quit,” said coach Steve Austin. “Obviously, we left too many runners on base and that had been a big issue in this stretch of one-run losses. We had plenty of chances to score more runs but it just didn’t happen. That’s softball.”
Photos by Leigh Downey
Caitlyn Downey and Sydnee Breeding took advantage of early Wildcat pitcher wildness to earn walks to start the game, then Ella Hutchens singled to left field scoring Downey. After a fielder’s choice, and another walk to Laken Robinson, Sierra Ware delivered a two-run single to left field, scoring Hutchens and Keira Crawford. Robinson scored on a Karly Mines sacrifice fly. Ware scored on a two out single by Andi Kreklow to put the Knights ahead, 5-0, after their initial at bat. River sent 10 batters to the plate in the first inning and things looked very promising.
Knight pitcher Makenna Saville issued one walk in the opening frame but retired the Wildcats without any additional incidents.
In what became a big turning point in the game, the Knights began the top of the second inning the way they started the first. Breeding and Hutchens hit crisp singles to start the inning when Crawford crushed a low liner to short that was caught just above the dirt, doubling off Breeding. After a Robinson infield hit, Ware lined to second leading the Knights to wonder how big that inning would have been had Crawford’s liner gone through?
Dan River, buoyed with enthusiasm after escaping more trouble in the top of the second inning, saw Anna Campbell walk to lead off the bottom of the inning. Taylor Barts’ bunt seemed to meander into foul territory but was ruled to have nipped Robinson’s glove before rolling beyond the line. After a successful sacrifice bunt, and an infield fly, Riley Hughes muscled a hump-back liner just into shallow left field, scoring two runs. Lead-off hitter Campbell Barts then doubled to left scoring Hughes, cutting the Wildcat deficit to 5-3 after two innings.
River left two runners on in the third inning but did not score. In the bottom of the third, Kenley Cunfiff’s deep fly was dropped to begin the inning and she ultimately scored on a single by Stoyler that was mishandled in the outfield. So, after three full innings the Knight were clinging to a one-run lead, 5-4.
In the fourth for the visitors, Hutchens singled for her third hit of the game, then Crawford walked. Robinson executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third but a soft infield liner and a strikeout stalled the rally.
In the Dan River fourth, Hughes worked a base on balls and Campbell Barts put down a sacrifice bunt. Saville threw to Downey to retire Barts at first. Downey’s throw to Breeding at third easily beat Hughes who was trying to pick up the extra base. Hughes then took a circuitous route towards home and outflanked Breeding and dove into the backside of third base. An appeal for being out of the baseline was denied and Hughes later scored the tying run on a two out Cundiff single.
Neither team scored in the fifth or sixth, though the Knights got three singles in the fifth. In the top of the seventh, James River went three up and three down for the only time in the game. So, they knew going into the bottom of the seventh that they had to keep Dan River scoreless to keep their hopes alive.
After a line out by Stoler for the first out, Taylor Barts doubled to left field. Taylor Pritchett popped up to the pitcher for the second out. Hughes then hit a hard shot to shortstop where Breeding had to go to the ground to keep it in the infield, and she could not get off an accurate throw to third base from the ground. Campbell Barts then hit a shot up the middle that Downey laid out for to stop but similarly could not get off a good throw to second base from the ground to get the third out. Taylor Bards scored on the infield hit to win the game.
James River out-hit Dan River 11-to-9, and left 12 runners on base– 10 after the first inning. Hutchens had four hits to lead the Knights and Breeding and Kreklow had two hits. Saville pitched only her fourth complete game of the year, scattering nine hits, striking out two and walking four. Four of the six runs were earned.
James River’s season ended with a record of 14-8, but with losses in five their last seven games all by one run. Dan River improved their record to 15-7, and advanced to play Appomattox in the regional semifinals.
“I’m extremely appreciative of this team and their fight to the end,” said Austin. “We haven’t won our share of all these close games but it is not because of effort. Our seniors have been great, and they have helped bring the younger players along.”
