By Stephen Henderson
Last Thursday, the Patrick County High School Lady Cougar softball team traveled to Franklin County to play almost three hours and 11 innings before finally beating the Lady Eagles 8-5. It was the eighth win for the Lady Cougars this season.
The Lady Cougars were down 3-0 in the top of the seventh inning with two outs when Sydney Biggs drew a walk, Melissa Pendleton hit a single and Morgan Biggs hit an RBI single to get the first PC score of the game.
Savannah Moorefield then came to bat and hit a two-RBI single to tie the game 3-3.
The Lady Eagles threatened the Lady Cougars in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on and one out when Cassidy Largen struck out the next two batters to put the game in extra innings.
Makenzie Watts scored on a RBI single from Abby Hutchens in the eighth to edge ahead 4-3 in the top of the eighth.
The Lady Eagles tied the game 4-4 with a RBI double in the bottom of the eighth.
In the ninth, the first three Lady Cougar batters reached base with a single, hit by pitch, and fielder’s choice, but the Lady Cougars would only scratch one run with an RBI single from Abby Hutchens. The Lady Cougars went up 5-4, but the Lady Eagles grabbed their last run in the bottom of the ninth and the third tie, but not without a threat to take the lead.
With the winning run on second and a line drive to center, Savannah Moorefield fired the ball home to try and get the winning runner. Catcher Melissa Pendleton caught the ball from Moorefield and tackled the runner and held on to the ball for the third and final out of the inning.
The tenth frame was empty for both teams, but the 11th wasn’t.
With the top of the lineup, Moorefield singled and scored from a RBI single by Zoe Hutchens. Abby Hutchens singled, then Hanna Hylton cleared the bases with a two RBI triple to move ahead 8-5.
Hannah Beasley pitched the bottom of the 11th and recorded two ground outs and one pop fly.
Savannah Moorefield went 4-6 with two RBIs; Zoe Hutchens went 2-6 with one RBI; Abby Hutchens went 3-6 with two RBIs; and Hanna Hylton was 2-6 with a two RBI triple.
Cassidy Largen pitched 10 innings with 10 strikeouts, three walks, five hits and two earned runs.
Last Saturday, the Lady Cougars traveled to Lynchburg to compete in the annual Spring Break Tournament hosted by Brookville High School. In the first game, the Lady Cougars faced Broadway High School and won 2-0. The two runs came from a RBI double by Savannah Moorefield and an RBI from Morgan Biggs.
They were the only two hits in the game.
Largen pitched all seven innings and recorded eight strikeouts, one walk and one hit.
In the second game Patrick County faced Brookville and lost 10-0.
Savannah Moorefield recorded the only hit of the game but the Lady Cougars had several balls put in play for the Lady Bees.
Cassidy threw three innings. struck out six batters, walked one, had two hits and one run. Josie Pendleton threw two innings, and Hannah Beasley threw the last inning.
The Lady Cougars finished second in the tournament, and Savannah Moorefield, Cassidy Largen, and Morgan Biggs were named to the All-Tournament Team.
This week, the Lady Cougars will travel to Grayson County today (Wednesday) and will host George Washington of Danville Friday afternoon.
