Softball: West Florence 7, Ridge View 6

In a non-region game, the Ridge View Blazers (8-15 overall) travelled to West Florence to take on the Knights (7-12 overall) on Saturday, 4/25/09. In the previous meeting this season between these two teams, the Knights won 10-2 on a cold, wet night at Ridge View. This game was much closer (and dryer) with the Knights scoring a run in the bottom of the 9th inning under International Tie-break rules to break a 6-6 tie and edge Ridge View 7-6.

West Florence kicked off the scoring in the 1st inning, scoring 2 on an rbi-triple to right from Blair Ritch, followed by an rbi-single up the middle by Marlee McManus. The Blazers cut the lead to 2-1 in the 3rd, scoring a run with a leadoff liner to center for a single from SS Megan Woodall, who scored when C Katelyn Smith lined a 2-out single to right-center field. The Knights got the run right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring a run when a 3rd-strike inside pitch from Brooke Dimock to Blair Ritch tipped off the catcherƒs mitt to the backstop, allowing Ritch to reach first safely. Marlee McManus followed with a 1-out rbi-double to right-center scoring Ritch.

Ridge View answered this run by scoring 4 in the top of the 4th to go up 5-3. Brooke Dimock lead off the inning with a single to right-center. After a sac bunt, 2B Natalie Davis grounded a ball past the pitcher, with the shortstop unsuccessfully trying to make the out at 3rd on courtesy runner Morgan Bailey, with Davis going to second on the play. Megan Woodall then lined her 2nd hit into left field for an rbi-single, taking 2nd on the throw from the outfield to 3rd. Kaitlyn McCormick followed with a fielderƒs choice grounder to 3rd, but the throw from 3rd trying to get Davis at the plate was wild allowing the second run to score. 3B Tre Medlin then grounded a ball to short, but Woodall was able to beat the play to the plate from 3rd to score the 3rd run of the inning. After the 2nd out, 1B Stephanie Sweatman singled between short and third, scoring McCormick with the 4th run in the inning for the Blazers.

After Dimock pitched a 1-2-3 4th inning, the Blazers added another run in the 5th to make it 6-3. Brooke Dimock lead off the inning by lining a single to right-center for her 3rd hit of the game. After a wild pitch and a sac bunt from Natalie Davis that was dropped on the play at first base, courtesy runner Bailey scored on a groundout from Woodall.

The Knights tied things up in the bottom of the inning scoring 3 runs on a double by Demi Palles, a walk, a groundball error to short, and an rbi-triple by Elizabeth Braswell. Blazer pitcher Brooke Dimock then locked things down for the next 3 innings, only facing 10 batters in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings. The Blazers had a chance to take the lead in the 8th when Marlee McManus came on the relieve Carson Summersett as the Knight pitcher to start the inning. A walk, an error on the throw of a sacrifice bunt, and a fielderƒs choice to short where Megan Woodall drew the throw home then retreated back to 3rd, landed the bases loaded with no outs. McManus then showed why they brought her in at this point in the game, by striking out three consecutive batters and leaving the bases loaded.

By high school rules, the 9th inning becomes a tie-break situation where both teams start with a runner at 2nd base with no outs. In the top of the 9th for Ridge View with Shatoya White at 2nd base, following a strikeout, Katherine Stori looped a ball over 2nd for a single, but White was unable to score on the play and had to hold at 3rd, leaving runners at the corners. McManus again pitched out of trouble coaxing a strikeout, then a groundout to 2nd to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the 9th for West Florence, starting with a runner at 2nd, the leadoff hitter Whitney Helton bunted down third reaching when the ball was mishandled on the pick-up. Dimock then walked (unintentionally intentional) the next hitter to load the bases. The next batter chopped a ball straight down, and made contact with the ball as they left the batterƒs box in fair territory for the first out. Blair Ritch then hit a ‚singleƒ over the left fielder, driving in Jamie Wiggins for the walk-off game-winner.

Ridge View had chances late, but were unable to push the go-ahead run across in the 8th and 9th innings. A tough way to lose, but the Blazers came back from an early deficit and made this a very exciting 9-inning game. This was the final regular season game for the Blazers (8-16, 4-6), and they will take on Gaffney (19-2, 10-0) in the opening round of the 4A playoffs on Thursday at Gaffney.

Ridge View 6 West Florence 7 (9-innings)

RV: Megan Woodall - ss (2-5, 2 rbi, 2 runs) Stephanie Junker - cf (1-1, sac) Katelyn Smith - c (1-5, rbi) Stephanie Sweatman - 1b (1-5, rbi, SB) Brooke Dimock - p (3-5, 2 runs) Katherine Stori - lf (1-4, sac, SB) Natalie Davis - 2b (1-4, run, sac, SB)

WF: Demi Palles - lf (1-2, 2B, run) Blair Ritch - ss (2-5, 3B, 2 rbi, 2 runs) Marlee McManus - dp,p (2-4, 2B, 3 rbi, run) Elizabeth Braswell - 1b (1-4, 3B, rbi)

WP - Marlee McManus (2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 5 K, 1 BB) Krissy Wike (3 1/3 IP, 4 R, 6 H, 0 K, 1 BB) Carson Summerset (3 2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 K, 0 BB) LP - Brooke Dimock (7-13, 8 1/3 IP, 7 R, 6 ER, 6 H, 4 K, 2 BB, 2 HP)