FLOYD – Carroll County and Floyd County on the Lady Buffaloes Senior night created the perfect storm for a softball game and everyone in attendance witnessed just that in the Lady Cavaliers’ 7-5 Three Rivers District victory over the home team.
There is always a little extra on the line when the rivals get together and it was Carroll County that looked a bit overwhelmed at the start, but thankfully head coach Rick Nester was able to get his team to regroup before things got out of hand. After going down in order in the top of the first inning, CCHS took to the field and the normally sure-handed Cavs managed to struggle with each of the first three batters, allowing Floyd to take a 1-0 lead with runners on both second and third base with no outs. Emma Leath was the first one to shake free and her first strikeout allowed her team to escape further damage in the frame.
Brooke Nance led off the top of the second inning with a double and came around to tie the game on the first of two hits on the night for Isabella Norman. Holly Miller ran for Norman and gave Carroll County the 2-1 lead on a ground ball to left off the bat of Kamryn Quesenberry.
Leath returned to the mound with a lead and preceded to push her streak of batters retired in a row up to double figures on her way to a 12-strikeout performance. The Cavs’ offense continued to pile up runs, including posting a three spot in the top of the third inning after Alyssa Nunn led off with a single, and one out later Leath added a single of her own.
Lily Marshall followed with an infield single, and Norman’s next hit pushed the lead to 4-1 with Marshall standing on third base and Maci Smith coming to the plate. Playing aggressive small ball, Nester sent Marshall to home the second that Floyd fielded the bunt off the bat of Smith and threw to first base. The speedy left fielder beat the throw back to home, giving CCHS a seemingly comfortable 5-1 lead.
Kalee Easter led off the top of the fourth with an infield hit and scored on a double from Nunn to make the score 6-1, and the contest appeared all but over heading into the bottom of the fifth. Floyd managed to have the first four batters reach base with just one ball ever leaving the infield with the fourth batter sending a shot back through the pitching circle that hit off the foot of Leath.
The junior shook off the stinger and quickly recorded consecutive strikeouts in hopes of protecting her 6-2 lead, but freshman Kyra Vaughn drove a ball to the gap for a three-run double to cut the lead to 6-5. The four-run inning was the largest frame for an opponent all season and the five runs scored by the Buffaloes was the highest total allowed by the Cavs.
Clinging to a one-run lead the Cavaliers received back-to-back doubles from Easter and Macie Adkins to push the lead back to 7-5 with Floyd down to their final six outs. Floyd refused to go quietly, loading the bases with just one out with their power hitters coming to the plate but Leath took care of the #3 and #4 hitters easily to send the game to the seventh inning.
Nance led off with the seventh with her second base hit and was moved around to third base but was stranded there to set the table for the tension-filled bottom of the seventh inning. Allison Hodge gave the home fans hope by leading off with a single which sent the tying run to the plate, but Leath was able to close out the team’s 15th victory of the season with Hodge still standing on first base.
Easter, Nunn, Nance and Norman each collected two hits on the night as part of a 12-hit attack for the Cavaliers
Carroll County (15-2, 7-2 Three Rivers District) now will turn from trying to beat the Buffaloes to cheering them on as Floyd County will face James River in the final week of the season and if they were to defeat JRHS (17-1, 7-1) it would allow the Cavaliers to claim a share of the regular season crown.
CCHS will go outside of the district on Monday when the host the Tazewell Bulldogs (12-4-1) in a double header set to begin at 5 p.m. and close out their regular season on Wednesday with a make-up game at Radford.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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