March 21, 2012 —
The defending 62nd District champion Lady Comets softball team got things off to an exciting start Monday night, as it defeated Raceland at home with a game-winning RBI, 5-4.
West Carter came out with flying colors in its home opener when senior outfielder Bella Gearhart knocked one into deep center field to bring in lead off hitter Amber Thornberry.
Senior third baseman Paige Tackett was the next to hop in on the action, as she connected on a pitch thrown down the middle for a trip to second base, bringing in Gearhart for the RBI.
Leftfielder Ashley Owens then brought Tackett home with an RBI of her own, as she hit a chopper toward first base, getting the RBI off a ground out, giving the Lady Comets a 3-0 lead.
This score would remain until the top of the fourth inning when the Lady Rams struck back on a double from Chloe Adkins, which brought in two Raceland runners, cutting West’s lead to 3-2.
West’s batting would continue to stagnate, as Raceland drove in two more runs in the sixth to take the lead from the Lady Comets at 4-3.
West Carter Coach Greg Reynolds said he was pretty pleased with the team’s performance, despite the fact it gave up the lead late in the game.
“As a coach you sure don't want to give up a lead in the 6th inning of a game,” Reynolds said. “But I love the way our girls kept playing. They didn’t quit when we lost the lead down the stretch. That’s what we can take from this and this experience is going to makes us better for the rest of the season.”
After two strike outs, things looked bleak for West Carter’s hopes of an opening win at home.
Calm and collected is how the Lady Comets finished the game, as Amber Thornsberry ripped a grounder past second base for a single, giving her teammates a glimmer of hope.
Starting pitcher Leatha Reynolds then alleviated some of the pressure after she hit a line drive down the left field line sending the Lady Rams on a chase to the fences.
This brought in Thornsberry for the tying run, setting the Lady Comets up for a memorable opening to the 2012 season.
Gearhart stepped up to the plate, took a couple of strikes, then sent one sailing into centerfield which brought Reynolds home from second for an emphatic finish at home plate, as Raceland could not surmount the tag, giving West the victory.
“Our girls played fairly well,” Reynolds said. “We made a couple of key errors in the game that as a coach, disappoints me, but that’s going happen early in the season. I was proud of the way we battled back and didn't quit. To be down by a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and come up with three straight hits is a huge momentum builder for the rest of the season.
Leatha Reynolds finished the night with the win for the Lady Comets, as she put on a show for the home crowd with 13 strikeouts, giving up just five hits. Gearhart led her team in the batters box with two doubles, while Tackett and Reynolds each added doubles of their own.
West Carter’s girls had little time to celebrate the win as they traveled to Elliott County last night after press time for a district matchup against the Lady Lions.
We will have more on the Lady Comets softball squad in next Wednesday’s edition of the Journal-Times.
Grant Stevens can be reached at gstevens@journal-times.com or by telephone at 1-800-247-6142.
Local Sports
Related Photos
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West Carter's Patience Jones slides into second base to complete the steal. Photo by Grant Stevens
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Senior Lady Comet Paige Tackett sets up in her batter's stance as she hugs the plate. Photo by Grant Stevens
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