Regional softball: Bluefield, James Monroe in control
May 13—BLUEFIELD — The Bluefield softball team is one win away from punching its ticket to the WVSSAC Class AA state softball tournament.
The Lady Beavers (16-5) picked up the critical opening-game victory in this year's Region 3 best-of-three series, beating visiting Independence 9-2 at Bluefield High School on Monday.
Bluefield travels to Coal City to face the Lady Patriots in today's second game of the series starting at 6 p.m. Should Independence pull out a win today, the series will return to the Lady Beavers' home field for Game 3.
Bluefield pitcher Izzy Smith went the distance for the victory, striking out nine and walking two over seven innings. She allowed two earned runs off of five hits.
The Lady Pats' Kendra Spurlock jolted the visitors into a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning with a two-run homer. Kassidy Bradbury had a couple of hits while Alli Hypes had a double.
Indy's offensive damage was limited to Spurlock's attention-getting big hit, however. After that, the Bluefield's lineup came alive, plating four runs in the fifth inning and five in the sixth while Smith settled down and pitched three consecutive shutout innings to seal the 1-0 series advantage.
Bluefield's Madison Lawson paced the Lady Beavers' 11-hit attack, going 2-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs on the day. Grace Richardson went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs while Abby Richardson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Taylor Mabry went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, Smith went 2-for-4, Audra Rockness had a single and a run scored and Abby Matthews scored two runs.
James Monroe 10,
Midland Trail 9
LINDSIDE — Trailing 8-2, James Monroe scored five runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth and held off Midland Trail for a 10-9 victory in Game 1 of their best of 3 Class A Region 3 championship series.
Chloe Bert had an RBI double to tie the game in the sixth, then a two-run single from Bryleigh Thomas put the Mavericks up for good at 10-8.
The Patriots threatened in the top of the seventh when a sac fly by Kylie Ramsey drove in Neveah Hall to make it a one-run game. But Thomas got the strikeout to finish off her complete game.
Thomas and Bert both had two doubles for the Mavericks.
Jenna Stonestreet had a triple for the Patriots and Ramsey drove in three runs.
The teams will play Game 2 in Hico Wednesday at 6 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, would move back to Lindside on Thursday.
PREP BASEBALL
Greenbrier West 12, Midland Trail 1, 6 innings
HICO — Greenbrier West broke open a close game with an eight-run sixth inning and defeated Midland Trail 12-1 to eliminate the Patriots from the Class A Region 3, Section 2 tournament.
The Cavaliers took advantage of 10 Midland Trail errors that led to 10 unearned runs.
David Lester and Hayden Ridgeway both drove in two runs for Greenbrier West, which will travel to top-seeded Charleston Catholic Tuesday for the championship. Greenbrier West will need two wins for the title.
Four pitchers combined to limit Trail to three hits.
