The James River softball team can earn a spot in the Class 2 tournament with a win tonight at the Botetourt Sports Complex. River will play Floyd County in a Region 2C semifinal, while Appomattox and Giles meet in the other semifinal, both at 5:30 p.m.
The two winners will play in the regional final at the Botetourt Complex Friday at 5:30 p.m., and both teams advance to the state tournament. River is 13-7 after winning the first two rounds of the regional.
Last Thursday Fort Chiswell got three consecutive hits to start first round Region 2C action at James River but only managed three more hits the rest of the way. James River recovered from the two-run Pioneer first inning with a six-run second and a five-run fourth to pound out a 14-2 win.
The Knights collected 13 hits and played errorless ball on defense. Sara Faust had four RBIs for River on an unusual three-RBI single and a sacrifice fly. Lacey Lucado reached base all four times and scored three runs. Lakota Lucado had two hits, an RBI, and three runs scored. Anna Schroeder scored two runs.
Kaitlin Simmons scattered six hits in six innings with four strikeouts, two walks, and a hit batter. She won her 11th game of the year. Ainsley Simmons pitched a three-up, three-down seventh.
“Our slow start was not unexpected,” said River coach Steve Austin. “We had not played in 10 days as we didn’t play either Carroll County game due to weather in the last week. Once we settled in we were fine.”
On Monday the Knights went on the road to meet Region 2C number 3 seed Nelson County and returned with a 9-3 win. The region quarterfinal contest was played in a steady light rain which made conditions challenging at times.
With two outs in the top of the first inning, Sara Faust hit a double to straight away center field scoring Cameron Hildebrand. Evie Melvin then followed with a two-run home run to center. After a double by Josey Lackey, Erin Peery singled to right field scoring courtesy runner Anna Schroeder with the inning’s fourth run, all with two outs.
After leaving two runners on in the second without scoring, the Knights plated three runs in the third inning. After consecutive walks to Faust and Melvin, Lackey sacrifice bunted them to second and third. Peery followed with her second RBI single of the game. Hildebrand later followed with a two-RBI double to put the Knights ahead 7-0 after two and a half innings.
Nelson County used a combination of four consecutive hits, a wild pitch, and a passed ball to score all of their runs in the bottom of the third inning.
The visitors used a Lacey Lucado sacrifice fly in the sixth and a Lauren Mayhew RBI double in the seventh to build the final margin.
The Governors loaded the bases in the home seventh but Knights’ pitcher Kaitlin Simmons coaxed an infield fly to end the game. Simmons allowed eight hits with two strikeouts and four walks to earn her twelfth victory of the season. Only one of the three runs was earned.
“Despite the conditions our defense was outstanding, and a big part of the game,” said Austin. “We did have a wild pitch and passed ball in their big inning, but we did not make an error.
“I really love my kids. They are a gritty bunch.”
