Photo by Brian Hoffman
The James River softball team will wrap up the regular season today with a game in Hillsville and it’s a big one. A win over Class 3 Carroll County would all but assure the Knights of opening the Region 2C tournament at home next week.
The top eight teams in the region make the tournament with the top four getting home games. River is currently ranked fourth after splitting a big doubleheader with Class 3 Northside on Monday. The Knights had a 4.8 rating at that time, just barely ahead of fifth place Dan River at 4.76. Appomattox, Patrick County and Floyd County occupy the top three spots.
River had a chance to sweep the Vikings on Monday but let the second game slip away. The Knights won the first game 12-1, completing a suspended game that they led 8-0 after rain interrupted the game in the second inning. Makenna Saville and Laken Robinson combined on a five-inning, one-hitter as Saville improved her record to 9-4 on the season. Ella Hutchens and Sydnee Breeding had three hits each.
In the regular scheduled game the Vikings came from 4-0 and 6-3 down to win 7-6 in six innings. The game was scheduled for five innings and Northside won in six when the International Tie-Breaker rule was used for the extra inning, starting with a runner on second base. The Knights had runners on second and third with no outs in the top of the sixth but failed to score.
James River had jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of game two, but the Vikings countered with three runs of their own. River scored two more in the top of the second but the Vikings rallied to tie, then walked off the win. Caitlyn Downey and Breeding had two hits apiece while Keira Crawford and Robinson had two RBIs each.
After the split the Knights are 14-6 overall and 8-3 in the district with the Carroll County game yet to be played. Last week the Knights hosted Floyd County in a big 3RD game lost a heartbreaker, 6-5.
River led this one 5-1 after two innings and was holding on 5-4 after five when the Buffalo gals struck for two in the top of the sixth to grab a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, with one out and no one on, Knights’ pinch hitter Andi Kreklow singled to right field. Downey followed with a clutch single to left, then Breeding then hit a high, deep drive to right centerfield that appeared to be in the gap but Floyd’s Kaylee Myers made a phenomenal effort getting to the ball and came up with a spectacular catch while going to the ground.
On the bases there was uncertainty because for a few seconds there was no clarity as to whether the ball had been caught or not. Myers threw the ball into the infield and on to first base to record a double play. Pinch runner Gracie Cash had actually tagged on second base, and she ran all the way home but it was determined that she did not score before the third out. Neither team mounted a threat in the seventh inning and the Lady Buffalos escaped with a big victory.
“The catch by Myers basically saved the game for them,” said River coach Steve Austin. “A lot of credit to her and the effort she put into that play. Our confusion on the base paths was inevitable given the wait by the umpires to confirm a catch. Great play by the Buffalos and a huge opportunity lost for us.”
