The Shadow
For the first time this season the Alleghany Lady Mountaineers (8-4) varsity softball team suffered back to back losses after being swept in a doubleheader on Friday against the Carroll County Cavaliers.
Both games were close.
With both teams having strong performances on the mound, the Cavaliers were able to edge past the Lady Mounties with a 1-0 victory in the first game.
Despite a strong effort on the mound for Averi Phillips (L, 0-for-2), she suffered the loss after giving up just one run (earned) in four innings while walking one and striking out five.
Leath (W, 0-for-1), was just as brilliant on the mound for the Cavaliers. She pitched a complete game shutout and only gave up two hits while striking out seven.
There wasn’t a whole lot of offense in the first game as both teams combined for six hits. The Mounties were held to a season-low of only two hits in the game one loss. Abbie Fridley (1-for-2) and Kinsey Middleton (1-for-2) each had a hit for the Lady Mounties.
The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the second inning. After a leadoff double and a single put the Cavaliers in scoring position, Marshall (1-for-1), laid down a sacrifice bunt that brought in a run to score.
That was all the offense needed for the Cavaliers to pick up the victory over the Lady Mounties. Leath wound up retiring the last 11 batters she faced. The only trouble she ran into was in the second inning where she gave up back to back one-out singles. Leath, would then strike out Erin Harden (0-for-2) and Daphne Shinault (0-for-2) to end the Lady Mounties potential rally.
In the second game, there was a little more offense than the first one, but the Cavaliers edged the Lady Mounties once again with a 3-2 victory.
Both teams had their game one starts back on the mound.
Leath (W, 0-for-2) picked up her second win of the evening after striking out seven batter in five innings pitched. Leath, gave up two runs (both earned) on four hits while walking just one.
A. Phillips (L, 2-for-2), once again despite a solid effort on the mound suffered the loss. A. Phillips, gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out three in five innings.
After being shutout in the first game, with one swing of the bat, Emalee Phillips (1-for-2) ended the Lady Mounties scoring drought with a home run in the second game. Unfortunately, Phillips two-run home run was not enough for the Lady Mounties to pull out a victory in game two.
The Cavaliers opened the second game with an early 2-0 advantage following the first inning. The team scored its first run of the second game on a costly defensive error by the Mounties that results in a run for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers would add another run to close the inning out.
Leading 2-0 entering the third inning, Alley (1-for-3) hit a two-out double to get the Cavaliers bats rolling. Nunn (2-for-2) followed the double with an RBI single that scored Alley to give the Cavaliers a 3-0 lead.
Trailing by three runs heading into the fourth inning, the Lady Mounties used their rally caps and cut the deficit down to one run on a two-run home run from E. Phiilps.
In the Lady Mounties final at bats of the fifth (last) inning, A. Phillips, collected one of her two game two hits. The rally would be cut short by Leath as he was able to get Harden (0-for-3) to ground out to end the game.
The Lady Mounties will look to put past this two-game losing streak this evening as the team hosts the Staunton Storm at 6:00 p.m.
