MORGANTOWN — Two games, eighteen innings, 322 minutes and then finally, jubilation.
On Monday night at Mylan Park, the University softball team absorbed a devastating 13-inning, 7-4 marathon loss to Bridgeport that forced an unexpected Region I, Section 2 final under the Lynch Field lights, then put together a near-perfect game at bat, in the circle and in the field to walk-off the Indians 10-2 in the fifth inning and capture the sectional title.
In the first game, the Indians were facing elimination after UHS’s No. 1 pitcher Autumn Stemple fired a no-hitter in last week’s 8-0 whitewash win by the Hawks. After University took a 1-0 lead in the first on Ally Jansen’s infield single that plated Anna Argabrite, the BHS faithful who made the trip north were worried there’d be more of the same in store. But a second inning lead-off hit followed by a two-out outfield error scored two to give Bridgeport a lead and some hope.
Another Indians run in the fourth grew their lead to 3-1, until UHS finally found success against BHS starter Chloe Pethtel in the fifth, scoring twice to tie the game at 3-3. An inning later, Meysa Heitmann’s clutch RBI sacrifice bunt in the sixth to place the Hawks just three outs from the crown, but three straight singles knotted the score at 4-4, sending the game into extra innings — with the emphasis on the extra.
Workhorses Stemple and Pethtel each put up five consecutive zeroes until the Hawks finally blinked in the 13th, when a laboring Stemple loaded the bases with two out, and an infield error allowed all three Bridgeport baserunners to score for their 7-4 season-extending victory.
Despite the lengthy Game 2 result, the WVSSAC confirmed the sectional by-laws required that the final game would follow after a brief break. And during that interlude, according to sophomore Ally Jansen, the frustrated Hawks first got angry, then decided to do something about it.
“We knew we didn’t play well that first game,” she explained after the win, “and we kind of channeled that feeling heading into the game. We decided to take it to them, and play the way we knew how. And we did.”
And how, as the Hawks’ gloves perfectly supported freshman pitcher Kelsey Park with a flawless defensive display, as she scattered four hits over six innings. Meanwhile, the University bats were rocking early and often, as two singles were followed by Heitmann’s sharply-laced triple down the right field line. Alyssa Spadafore infield grounder knocked in run No. 3.
Bridgeport fought back with a pair of runs in the second, but the Hawks scored another in the second, then broke the game wide open in the fourth. Stemple pounded a double to center, Ashlynn Weaver ripped an RBI single to make it 5-2, then the Hawks loaded the bases for Jansen, who cracked an outside fastball over the rightfielder’s head and raced around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam. Two innings later, Jansen smacked a third consecutive single to drive in winning pitcher Park with the Sectional winning run.
“That was quite a rollercoaster,” UHS coach Mindy Parks understated after the game. “Our kids weren’t aware that we had to play the final tonight – that was my fault, but I wasn’t aware since the schedule was so mixed up following last week’s rainouts. They were pretty upset, but we got them together, and asked every one of them if they wanted to play. We kind of challenged them, and I think it really got them focused and determined to go out and play their best.
“To lose a game like they did, then find a way to flip the switch and get the job done the way they did …well, I’m just really proud of all of them. They deserved this win and this sectional title.”
The Hawks will begin the regional tournament next week, with the date, date, and opponent yet to be determined between Morgantown and John Marshall.
Game 2
Bridgeport 020 100 100 000 3 – 7
University 100 021 100 000 0 – 4
Bridgeport (1-1)
Rachel Mason 3b 6 2 1 0 Chloe Pethtel p 5 0 1 0 Maci Cook cf 6 1 1 0 Makenna Smith lf 6 1 1 0 Maddie Garner 2b 5 0 0 0 Kyleigh Anderson dp 6 2 3 0 Kileigh Pugh ss 6 0 0 0 Sadie Hamrick 1b 6 0 1 1 Kaylie Kwiatkowski rf 4 1 1 0 Jacey Laxton c 0 0 0 0 Totals 50 7 9 1.
UNIVERSITY (1-1)
Anna Argabrite 3b 5 1 1 0 Meysa Heitmann cf 4 1 1 1 Ally Jansen c 4 1 1 1 Autumn Stemple p 6 0 2 1 Ashlynn Weaver ss 6 0 0 0 Alyssa Spadafore 1b 6 0 0 1 Paige Conrad lf 3 0 0 0 Kennadi Barnhart ph-lf 3 0 0 0 0 Kaylee Riffle rf 6 0 0 0 Kelsey Park 2b 5 1 2 0 Totals 48 4 7 4.
E- BHS 4 UHS 3. LOB – BHS 12 UHS 11. 2B – UHS 1 (Park). SH – UHS 1 (Heitmann).
BHS – Pethtel (W) 13 ip 4 r 3 er 7 h 4 bb 8 so.
UHS – Stemple (L) 13 ip 7 r 1 er 9 h 7 bb 19 so.
Sectional Final
Bridgeport 020 000 – 2
University 310 501 – 10
Bridgeport (1-2)
Rachel Mason 3b 3 0 0 0 Kyleigh Anderson rf 3 0 0 0 Maci Cook cf 2 0 0 0 Makenna Smith p 3 0 0 0 Maddie Garner 2b 2 1 0 0 Kileigh Pugh ss 2 1 1 0 Chloe Pethtel dp 2 0 1 1 Sadie Hamrick 1b 2 0 1 1 Kaylie Kwiatkowski rf 2 0 1 0 Jacey Laxton c 0 0 0 0 Totals 21 2 4 2.
UNIVERSITY (2-1)
Anna Argabrite ss 4 1 2 0 Kelsey Park p 4 3 2 1 Meysa Heitmann cf 4 2 3 2 Ally Jansen 3b 3 1 2 5 Alyssa Spadafore c 3 0 0 1 Kennadi Barnhart lf 3 0 0 0 Kaylee Riffle rf 3 0 0 0 Autumn Stemple 1b 3 1 1 0 Ashlynn Weaver 2b 3 2 3 1 Totals 30 10 13 10.
E- BHS 2 UHS 0. DP – UHS 1. LOB – BHS 3 UHS 6. 2B – UHS 1 (Stemple). 3B – UHS 1 (Heitmann). HR – UHS 1 (Jansen). HBP – BHS 2 (Cook, Garner by Park)
BHS – Smith (L) 5+ ip (3 faced in 6th) 10 r 9 er 12 h 1 bb 4 so.
UHS – Park (W) 6 ip 2 r 2 er 4 h 0 bb 2 so.
