The Shadow
PATRICK COUNTY, Va. (VR) – After a rough start in Game One, the Alleghany Cougar varsity softball team answered with thunder. And by thunder, we mean a fourth-inning explosion that left no doubt: this team is built different.
Game One saw the Cougars struggle to get anything going, falling 2-0 to Patrick County in a quiet outing where hits were few and momentum was nonexistent. But in Game Two? Alleghany flipped the switch — and then broke the scoreboard.
The headliner? Kaylee Nicely. She stepped into the box with the bases loaded and Patrick County on their heels. One swing later, the ball was gone — a towering grand slam to dead center that cracked the game wide open and sent the team into a frenzy. It wasn’t just a homer. It was a message.
Her blast wasn’t the only firepower the Cougars brought. Laken Cantrell sparked the inning with a fielder’s choice that brought in the first run, and Paige Webb iced the inning with a missile double that tacked on another. In total, Alleghany plated six runs in the fourth — turning a 1-0 deficit into a 6-1 rout in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Addyson Neff was in full control on the mound. The junior ace delivered five innings of lockdown softball, giving up just two hits and one run while fanning three. She worked the corners, trusted her defense, and shut the door on any Patrick County comeback.
