Walker Valley saved the best for last in a softball battle against Bradley Central Monday at Bob McKenzie Field.
The Lady Mustangs held a slim 7-5 lead until the top of the seventh inning when the Herd bats went from lukewarm to red hot as the 'Stangs pushed six runs across to pull off their ninth win of the season with a 13-5 win over the Bearettes.
“I'm just really proud of the girls for continuing to fight all seven innings. We had a couple of miscues early on, but we just kept battling. I think that shows our heart, our character and our fight,” said Lady Mustangs head coach Lauren Limburg. “I'm really proud of the girls for continuing to fight.”
The Lady Mustangs will take to the diamond again Wednesday as they host Cleveland at 5:30 p.m.
The Bearettes take to the field in a doubleheader Tuesday at 5 p.m., against Red Bank before beginning district play Thursday against Ooltewah.
Ryan Presswood got the win for Walker Valley in a complete game effort. The swift righty fought off a determined Bearettes squad who tapped the senior hurler for eight hits. Presswood gave up three earned runs on the evening while striking out 10 Bradley batters with just a single base on balls.
Kaylee Callahan took the hard luck loss for the Bearettes with a solid effort that held the Lady Mustangs somewhat hobbled for six innings. Callahan ended the game with four Ks and an equal number of walks while giving up seven earned runs.
“I thought Kaylee threw a fantastic game. I couldn't be more proud of her,” said Bearettes first year head coach Caden Ricketts. “I've been trying to challenger her a little bit and I thought she rose to the challenge. She ha a fire about her tonight and I love what I saw from her.”
The Lady Mustangs started the early brawl with two runs in the first as Karly Blackwell singled and later scored on a wild pitch. Amy Benson followed Blackwell sith a sibgle ad made it 2-0 on an RBI single to center field by Morgan Rice.
The Bearettes answered the challenge in the bottom half of the inning after Marayah Greenwood led with an opening single and later scored on Tori Cagle's RBI hit to right. Allysa Herbold, who smacked a one out single, raced home on a wild pitch to knot the score at 2-2.
Walker Valley regained the advantage in the top of the second on a double to left field off the bat of Nessa Byers that scored Madison Thomas, who led off the inning with a walk.
A Walker Valley error helped the Bearettes tie the score once again as Herbold's single to left scored Greenwood to make it a 3-3 game.
The Lady Mustangs retaliated with a three run fourth inning beginning with a hit by pitch to Brylee Davis. Autumn Lanclos followed with a single to to right-center. Byers then loaded the bases with a safety to center. Karly Blackwell took advantage of the “ducks on the pond” setup with a base clearing double to right-center that made it a 6-3 game.
But, the Bearettes refused to roll over as Cagle singled to center and Callahan walked to open the bottom half of the inning. A Kloe Farkas two bagger to right-center scored Cagle. Callahan cut the margin to 6-5 scoring on a Landry Johnson RBI sigle to shallow right.
The Lady Mustangs picked up a single run in the top of the sixth with a lead-off single by Byers, who stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a Benson bunt single.
After holding the Bearettes scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, the Walker Valley bats came alive in the top of the seventh.
Brylie Davis opened with a double to right and scored on a single to right by Lanclos, who gave way on the bases to Anzleigh Battle. Battle and Byers, who reached on a base on balls, put the Lady Mustangs out front 10-5 thanks to a Blackwell single to center. Blackwell raced home on a Bradley miscue to make it 11-5.
Benson, the beneficiary of the Bearette error, trotted home minutes later when Alyssa Davenport launched a rocket to left-center field for a two-run home run to make it a 13-5 game.
“I thought we battled. We gave up two big innings and nine of their runs came from the fourth and the seventh. I thought we fought. I thought we hit the ball well,” said Ricketts.
Presswood fanned the first batter she faced in the bottom half of the inning and got a pair of out on fly balls to second an left as the Lady Mustangs sealed the win.
“I'm just really proud of of them. We've just got to continue to work on on pitch selection and adjusting at the plate. We had a great week in Gulf Shores (Ala.). We played some really tough teams and I was really proud of how they progressed out that week,” Limburg stated. “I'm excited for us to build off that. Tonight everybody stepped up and I'm proud of them.”
Walker Valley 210 301 6 — 13 14 1
Bradley Central 201 200 0 — 5 8 2
WP: Ryan Presswood (WV) LP: Kaylee Callahan (BC) HR: Alyssa Davenport (WV) 3B: Morgan Rice (WV); 2B: Nessa Byers, Brylee Davis, Karly Blackwell (WV), Kloe Farkas (BC). HIGHLIGHTS: Blackwell 3-5 2RS 4RBI, Amy Benson 2RS, Davenport RS RBI, Morgan Rice RBI, Madison Thomas RS, Brylee Davis 2-2 2RS, Autumn Lanclos 2-4 RS RBI, Anzleigh Battle RS, Byers 3-3 3RS RBI (WV); Maryah Greenwood 2RS, Allyissa Herbold 2-3 RS RBI, Tori Cagle 2-3 RS RBI, Callahan 1-2 RS, Farkas RBI, Landry Johnson RBI.
(Contact Richard Roberts at richardvol55@yahoo.cm)