Gallery by Karen AkersĀ
Shady Spring had been there before, only to walk away frustrated.
Tuesday night its previous postseason frustration disappeared into total jubilation.
After winning its previous Class AA Region 3 softball title 10 years ago to the day, the Tigers once again hoisted the championship plaque following a 10-4 win over Wyoming East.
The win advances Shady Spring to the state softball tournament starting Wednesday, May 25 in South Charleston.
Donald Barnett, now in his ninth year as the head coach, had weathered the bigger part of that frustration with his teams.
“I don’t know how to explain it. We have chased this thing and chased this thing. We have made it to the regionals every year I have been here except one and that was last year,” Barnett said. “This is a pinnacle for us so far, but the next goal is to win another game or two.”
Senior Olivia Barnett, the coach’s daughter, had no trouble finding the words to describe her feelings after the win.
“There is so much going through my mind right now. I am so proud of my girls,” Olivia Barnett said. “When the game got a little close, I got nervous, but I put all the trust in my team. I knew we would buckle down and work through it and we did.”
Coming off a victory Monday night in New Richmond, Shady Spring needed just one more win to secure the regional title.
The Tigers went to work immediately, building a solid lead after the first inning.
“The game plan was to get ahead like we did last night. If we can get a cushion with our bats and with Paige (Maynard) on the mound, it is hard for teams to battle back from that,” Barnett said.
A lead-off walk to Maynard was followed by a double from Barnett. Just as she has done the entire postseason, Hadley Wood then came up with the big single to score both runners.
It was the first of four runs batted in on the night for the senior first baseman.
“I just look to make contact and let the ball do its job,” Wood said. “The ball landed in some nice positions in this game for me.”
Mallie Lawson doubled later in the inning to give Shady a quick 3-0 lead.
“We all put the ball in play tonight and did our jobs defensively. Every spot, 1-9, did what they were supposed to do and it was beautiful,” Olivia Barnett said.
A solo blast by Wyoming East second baseman Savannah Brehm put East on the board in the second inning, but when the fifth inning rolled around, the Warriors trailed 5-1.
“We were able to add to that lead a little bit by putting the ball in play. Then we were able to take advantage of good base running and some mistakes on their part,” Barnett said.
East came to life in the fifth inning after singles from Alivia Monroe and Madison Clark, along with a walk to Makayla King loaded the bases.
Down 0-2 in the count, Olivia Hylton blasted a rocket to the left field fence to score two runs before a ground ball from Paige Laxton cut the lead to 5-4.
However, three errors in the bottom of the inning erased all of the work the Warriors did in the top of the frame.
Lexi Hoke hit the first of her two doubles on the night and scored two batters later when Barnett’s routine fly ball was dropped in the outfield.
After Wood reached on an infield error, Barnett scored on a sharp liner from Kaylee Waddell which ricocheted off Hylton’s ankle in the circle.
Hylton had to be helped from the field, but the senior hurler gathered herself and made a courageous return to finish the game.
After striking out the first batter she faced, Hylton was poised to get out of the jam without any further damage, but the third error of the inning for East plated another run for a 8-4 lead.
“We have talked about not panicking in situations like that when we play good teams. You have to expect that they are going to hit the ball. Wyoming East always hits the ball,” Barnett said. “They did their part, but on our end we just had to keep playing defense, keeping pitching and get back in the box and create a cushion.”
Unfortunately for Wyoming East, the struggles in the field were nothing new.
“It has been that way all season for us. We were right there,” Wyoming East head coach Doc Warner said. “We just haven’t valued outs. When a team gives you an out, you have to take it.”
Following the rough inning, Maynard was never tested retiring six of the final seven batters that she faced.
“I am so excited that we did not give up and we kept fighting,” Maynard said. “I knew I had to really focus. They were hitting the ball tonight. I had to focus on hitting corners and not leaving anything too high. I knew they were going to fight, but I didn’t want to let the girls down.”
Shady added to the cushion in the sixth inning when Wood’s single scored Hoke after her lead-off double. Wood then came in to score on Emma Cyrus’ single for her second RBI of the night and the 10-4 lead.
“This is a group of girls that works well together. They have each other’s back,” Barnett said. “All the parts worked well together tonight. It was the consummate team effort. All the pistons were firing.”
WE: 010 030 0 – 4 6 6
SS: 310 132 x – 10 14 1
Pitching – WE: Olivia Hylton and Kayley Bane; SS: Paige Maynard and Kaylee Waddell
WP: Maynard, LP: Hylton
Hitting – WE: Olivia Hylton 1-4 (2b, 2 rbi), Paige Laxton (rbi) Savannah Brehm (HR), Andrea Laxton 1-3 (2b), Alivia Monroe 1-3, Cadence Clay 1-3, Madison Clark 1-3; SS: Olivia Barnett 2-5 (2b), Hadley Wood 4-5 (4 rbi), Kaylee Waddell 2-2 (rbi), Emma Cyrus 2-5 (2 rbi), Alexa Quesenberry 1-4, Mallie Lawson 1-4 (2b, rbi), Lexi Hoke (2, 2b).