Herbert Hoover players and coaches celebrate after winning the Class AA Region 2 softball championship. Alex Bennett, Exponent Telegram.
By: Greg Talkington, Exponent Telegram | Posted: May 15, 2018 | Source: WV Gazette-Mail PREPS
BRIDGEPORT — It didn’t take Missy Smith long to bring out the hook.
The Herbert Hoover softball coach gave Presley McGee the start against Bridgeport Tuesday, but after a walk, Paige Humble’s double to the left-center field gap and another walk, Smith had seen enough and summoned ace Delani Buckner from second base to the mound.
With Bridgeport’s fastest runner, Payton Merica, standing on third, the Indians’ Kate Stanley greeted Buckner with a long fly ball to right field, looking for sure like a sacrifice fly was in the offing.
But Megan Seafler fired a strike to the plate that Roberto Clemente would have been proud of, gunning down Merica for a double play. Buckner then struck out the next five Bridgeport hitters to set the tone, and the Huskies went on to a 4-0 victory over the Indians at Bridgeport Middle School.
The win gives unbeaten Hoover (30-0), the defending state champion, the Class AA Region 2 title and moves the Huskies into next week’s state tournament in Vienna. Bridgeport closed its season at 16-9.
“We have that mentality; the next person up, and Delani came in and did what she does,” Smith said. “That was a great play we had when Seafler makes a nice catch, a great throw and our catcher holds on for the out.
“It definitely made a big difference.”
“If I’d have put money on that, I’d have lost a ton,” said Bridgeport coach Larry “Rabbit” Snider. “I thought it was hit deep enough that with Payton’s speed, we could score.
“But their right fielder made a great throw and that’s the kind of things they do as a team and why they are 30-0.”
Buckner was confident when she took over on the mound, even though she was thrust into a full-blown jam situation.
“I thought even if they got a run or two, we would still be OK,” Buckner said. “But when Megan made that great throw to home, I knew we were going to be OK. She has a cannon out there for an arm.
“I thought after that I had my better stuff today and was in a pretty good groove.”
Hoover took the lead in the top of the first when Mallori Chapman tripled into the left-field corner and scored on McGee’s single for a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies added two more in the third. Rebekah Woody singled to right, with Seafler following and getting aboard on an error. Chapman then singled to right-center to score Woody with Seafler moving to third.
McGee, who didn’t pout about being lifted so early, then came up with her second RBI of the contest with a fly ball to right to score Seafler.
Herbert Hoover added an insurance run in the sixth when Woody belted a one-out double to right-center field and then came home when Seafler got aboard on an error.
Bridgeport had leadoff doubles from Emily Riggs in the fourth and Lauren Riffle in the fifth, but couldn’t score.
Riggs added a one-out single to left in the sixth but never made it off first base.
Buckner ended the game with seven innings pitched, giving up three hits with no walks and 12 strikeouts.
“She was definitely in a groove,” Smith said. “Her riseball was working well and her screwball was working, too.
“When that is happening, it makes it easy for me to call pitches.”
Bridgeport’s Starr Pope pitched well in defeat, scattering seven hits over seven innings. She walked six — five intentionally — and struck out two.
