Williamstown's Kiersten Kirby (pictured throwing the ball to first base) knocked in three runs and saved three innings in the Yellow Jackets' 7-5 win against Wirt County on Thursday night. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)
WILLIAMSTOWN – Wirt County invaded Williamstown here Thursday during Little Kanawha Conference West Division action in what became a battle of winless programs.
The Tigers led first-year head coach Candice Hardberger 2-0, 4-2, but the Orange and Black trailed 0-0 as Williamstown rallied for a 7-5 win. It went down to 19.
Eva Johnson went 4-for-4 with three runs scored, a double and an RBI for the 1-17 Yellow Jackets, who are scheduled to play at Fort Frye today at 5 p.m.
Alyssa Clare (IP4, H3, ER2, BB8, SO2) earned the mound victory. Kirsten Kirby, who had three RBIs, secured the save by pitching three no-hitter innings, allowing one earned run with two walks and one strikeout.
“We finally got a win and we're hoping for more wins later this week.” Coach Ron Stanley said. “The most important thing is that they have the feeling that they are winners. You have to work hard, and this is the reward.”
During the Yellow Jackets' 7-5 win Thursday night, Wirt County's Skylar Bunch safely darted home before Williamstown catcher Nevaeh Moore applied the tag. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)
Stanley added of Johnson's effort, “There's nothing like it.” Both of them (Johnson/Kirby) are returners from last year.
“We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores starting. Again, they're getting better every day. It was a good game all around.”
With one out, Kylie Barker singled, followed by a walk by Kylie Ross. Kaylee Copeland's sacrifice fly and Skylar Bunch's RBI free pass gave the Tigers an early cushion.
WHS responded with two runs of its own. Johnson hit a double with one out, and Ellie Hanlon reached first base after a strikeout. Kirby got his first RBI on a sacrifice fly, and Alexis Stevens followed with a two-out, two-bagger.
Wirt County took advantage of four Jacket errors in the third to push up two more points. Bunch advanced to second base on an error on a two-out single. She scored after Harley Boyce reached on an infield error, and it was 4-2 when Boyce came home on another jacket error.
Williamstown's Eva Johnson went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, a double and an RBI in the Yellow Jackets' game against Wirt County on Thursday. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)
Coach Stanley's program allowed them to return one point in the home half of the frame. Johnson singled and scored on Kirby's RBI grounder.
The Tigers committed two errors during Williamstown's three-run fourth. Immediately after Nevaeh Moore walked and stole second base, Tiger losing pitcher Ali Knight (IP6, H7, ER4, ER7, BB, SO5) issued back-to-back free passes to Inessa Buck and Lakin Hershberger. The bases were loaded. At first, No. 9 batter B. Aydin was hit by Barker and retired, but leadoff batter Kyla Meyer and Johnson followed with consecutive RBIs. Another WCHS error made it 6-4 after four innings.
Wirt County, which hosts Roane County on Monday at 5 p.m., scored the winning run in the top of the sixth inning. Ross gave his team a run, coming home on a fielder's choice RBI single by Knight.
Johnson led off the sixth inning with a single, and Kirby scored on a sacrifice fly RBI. Alexis Stevens was robbed of a hit when Copeland made a diving catch in center field.
“Magnolia beat us by default (15-14). This was really the closest we've come to winning a game this year.” Coach Stanley added that Meyer made a clever running catch in center field and Kirby made a leaping grab at second base. “This is good.
On Thursday, Wirt County catcher Kylie Ross struck out Williamstown's Kyla Meyer as the Tigers went up 7-5. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)
“I tell them every day they need to get better, and they've done just that. It's been a long journey to get here. Many of these girls are new to the sport or have significantly lowered their softball IQ. We need to get better and we are getting there one day at a time.”
The Tigers went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and Caitlin Dusky hit a web gem in the hot corner of foul territory, but a player was thrown out at third base.
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com.
