Patriots top Big Reds 12-2 in sectional
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PARKERSBURG -- Parkersburg South scored five times in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back as they rolled to a 12-2, five-inning win over the Parkersburg Big Reds in sectional tournament play Tuesday evening at Don Godbey Memorial Fields.
South added two more runs in the second and four more in the third as they built a 10-run lead after three innings of play.
PSHS head coach Tim Burch felt his team played as good as it has all season long in the tourney opener.
"They know us and we know them so it was just going to be a case of who could hit better and who could pitch better," said Burch, whose squad improved to 12-13 with the win. "We put it all together and I really think we played our best game of the year tonight."
The first five South hitters reached base and then scored off of PHS starter Kisten Roberts in the opening inning.
Ashley Ellison led off the game by drawing a walk and Kasidy Trimble and Paige Adams followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases.
South starting pitcher Taylor Lamp saw her fly ball misplayed for an error allowing the first run to cross the plate and Becca Beatty drew a bases-loaded to force in the second run.
One out later Alicia Lemus was hit by a pitch to force in yet another run and Shawny Eddy walked to give the Patriots a 4-0 lead.
Katelyn Jones capped the scoring by scoring Beatty with a sacrifice fly.
Adams reached base on a fielding error to lead off the second inning and moved to third on a double by Lamp off of the fence in deep left field.
Beatty brought a run home with an infield grounder and Kara Snyder gave South a 7-0 lead when she hit the second sacrifice fly for the home team in as many innings.
Lamp had little trouble at all in the circle in the first few innings but ran into a bit in the top of the third.
Brenna Miller drew a base on balls to start things off for the Big Reds and Ashlynn Eddy reached base via a hit by pitch.
Lamp got a big out when she got Big Red catcher Emily Allen to pop out to third base but Roberts followed with a sharp single up the middle to load the bases.
Madison Marks singled home Miller and after Meghan Lauderman popped out for the second out of the inning, Trimble came up with the play of the game for the Patriots.
Riley Jones drilled a shot into the hole between shortstop and third base where Trimble ranged far to her right to snag the ball and then tossed it to Snyder at third to force out Roberts for the final out of the inning
"That was really a great play by Kasidy (Trimble) and any time you can get a 6-5 putout that is nice," said Burch. "It was hit hard and she had to go to the hole and our third baseman (Snyder) was in the right position. That was a big out."
The Patriots quickly regained any momentum they may have lost in the bottom of the third when Jones, Ellison and Trimble slugged back-to-back-to-back doubles before Adams crushed a three-run home run to the opposite field to increase the lead to 11-1.
The homer was the 14th of the season for Adams.
"She (Adams) has hit the ball a ton for us all season long," said Burch of his slugging first baseman. "Even when she makes outs they are really loud ones."
Parkersburg South added a 12th run in the bottom of the fourth on an infield ground out by Jones sending them to the fifth with a 12-1 lead.
The Big Reds got a single run in the top of the fifth on back-to-back hits by Lauderman and Jones and an RBI ground out by Makailynn Munday but Lamp got the final out to push the Patriots into the winners bracket in the double elimination sectional tournament.
Lamp allowed six hits while striking out five to gain the win while Roberts allowed eight hits while fanning three while suffering the loss.
PHS head coach Jason Roberts felt his team came out a bit sluggish and that effort cost them as they slipped to 5-16 on the season.
"It is what it is we just didn't play very well at all," said Roberts. "We just can't play that bad against any team and expect to win a ball game let alone against a good team."
South advances to take on Ripley tomorrow night in Ripley while PHS will face Hurricane in an elimination game.