Cyclones top Caroline in extra innings

Great teams find ways to win even when the chips are stacked against them, and that’s exactly what Eastern View’s softball team did.

The Cyclones were the proud owners of a seven-run lead heading into the seventh inning of Thursday’s Battlefield District game against Caroline but the Cavaliers came storming back, scoring seven runs and forcing the game into extra innings.

But have no fear, Cyclones fans, because Samantha May stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth and cracked a double into deep center field. It turned into a virtual inside-the-park home run thanks to a throwing error that netted Eastern View a 9-8 victory.

“I’ve been telling the girls all year about that one pesky inning we always seem to have,” EVHS coach Kelly Jo Forrest said. “But we’re getting better at intense situations and tonight the girls showed a lot of heart.”

Eastern View’s starting pitcher Zaneta Puller had only allowed one hit going into the seventh, but that all changed when Caroline’s Stephanie Lemmonds stepped into the batters box and sent a two-run home run over the fence in center field.

It only got worse from there. A couple of batters later, Sarah Flippee dropped a blooper into shallow right field to load the bases before Brittany Jackson connected on a hard grounder that bounced in and out of EVHS shortstop Anna Klumpp’s glove and scored another run.

The Cavaliers scored four more runs during the seventh thanks to an inside-the-park grand slam off the bat of leadoff hitter Courtney Didlake.

“One error just led to many errors,” Forrest said. “We’re still a young team with a lot of inexperienced players so that’s bound to happen, but I’m just proud we were able to get the win.”

Puller is a big reason the Cyclones (11-4 overall, 6-1 in the district) were able to pull out the tough win. The sophomore pitched all eight innings, racking up 15 strikeouts while giving up seven runs and showing she knows how to field her position.

“She (Puller) has just been getting better and better all season,” Forrest said. “We’ve seen her mental toughness grow and when she takes her time and sets the tone, she’s hard to beat.”

Sophomore Courtney Shanks led the way from the plate, going 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs, while Klumpp went 4-for-5 with a triple and an RBI. May finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI and senior Ashleigh Johnson added two hits and an RBI of her own.

“We had been in a little bit of a hitting slump,” Forrest said. “But I’m proud of the girls because even though some of them didn’t get on base, they still put the ball in play.”
The Cyclones racked up 12 hits as a team.

Flippee took the mound for the Cavaliers (2-6, 2-3) and pitched all eight innings, striking out three batters.

Didlake led the way for Caroline going 2-for-4 with four RBIs, while Lemmonds went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Lauren Didlake finished the game 2-for-4 with a triple.

Eastern View will be in action again today when they host Battlefield foe King George at 4:30 p.m. and Forrest knows just what her girls need to do to keep winning.

“We just need to play seven full innings,” she said. “We need to keep hitting the ball and work on building a little more confidence.”