Herbert Hoover’s Megan Seafler beats the throw to Roane County first baseman Abby Nichols during the Huskies’ sectional tournament clincher. Craig Hudson | Gazette-Mail
By: Ryan Pritt, Staff Writer | Posted: May 4, 2018 | Source: WV Gazette-Mail
It doesn’t take a degree in mathematics to figure out that if Herbert Hoover’s pitching and defense continues down the postseason path it has started on, the Huskies are going to be impossible to beat.
Through three games in Class AA Region 2 Section 2, the Huskies (26-0) outscored opponents 30-0, including a 6-0 shutout win over Roane County on Friday night to clinch the sectional crown and a spot in the best-of-three regional series to begin Monday, May 14.
Hoover’s two-headed monster in the circle was on full display again on Friday as Presley McGee and Delani Buckner continued to hang zeroes and K’s in bunches. McGee started matters with four shutout innings and Buckner entered to roll up three more, with the two sophomores combining to strike out 13 Raiders in front of an error-free game from the Huskies defense.
“When we score one or two runs you start to feel a little better, because our pitching and defense are playing pretty well right now,” Hoover coach Missy Smith said. “When we score in the first couple of innings, everything loosens up for us.
“The two pitcher thing is great for us. You can’t sit on one pitcher, and if we decide to split them like we did today, you have to readjust your timing. They’re different pitchers. Presley is a bit more of a power pitcher, she throws a little harder than Delani, and Delani’s ball moves so well. They both have their strengths.”
McGee also came up with one of the game’s biggest offensive sequences.
The Huskies entered the third inning up 1-0 before Megan Seafler led off with a bunt single and Mallori Chapman walked. Kirsten Belcher dropped a sacrifice bunt to move the runners for McGee, who smoked a single into left-center field to drive in both runs. She later scored from second base when Cortney Fizer was robbed of a home run at the right field wall. McGee alertly tagged and sprinted all the way home to give Hoover a 4-0 advantage.
“I thought it was a home run and thought, ‘Oh I’m going,’” McGee said. “Then I heard Missy yelling, ‘Tag up, tag up,’ and I didn’t slide at home because I didn’t hear her. It’s OK, we scored though.”
Hoover managed just five hits in the face of a spirited pitching effort from Allie and Olivia Mace, but as it has been throughout most of the season, Hoover didn’t need much scoring. McGee and Buckner have combined to yield just 12 earned runs in 26 games and have struck out 269 hitters in 141 innings. Buckner will enter the regional round with a 14-0 record and a 0.33 ERA with McGee standing at 12-0 with a 1.01 ERA.
“We have been together since [10-and-under youth league],” McGee said. “We’ve always been encouraging of each other and trying to get each other to do our best. No matter what, we’re in it together. It’s great to have two of us because not a lot of people have that.”
Seafler finished with a pair of hits in four at-bats, giving Hoover its only multi-hit effort of the night. Mallori Chapman got the scoring started with an RBI triple in the first inning.
Roane (22-6) had to rally from a late three-run hole just to get the opportunity to face Hoover on Friday. The Raiders came up with a five-run sixth inning, aided by three Lewis County errors, to beat the Minutemaids (15-6) 7-5 prior to Friday’s nightcap.
Roane freshman Katie Gaughan had a pair of hits in each game and scored two runs in the first game. Halie Farmer went 2 for 3 against Lewis.
Alexies Hudson was 2 for 4 with a solo home run for the Minutemaids and Paige Bragg singled, doubled and drove in two runs.
Hoover will await the winner of Region 2 Section 1, which is still being determined. Bridgeport defeated Lincoln 7-6 on Friday to put itself in the driver’s seat. The Cougars are slated to play an elimination game against Liberty Harrison on Saturday, with the winner needing to beat the Indians twice starting Monday.
Reach Ryan Pritt at 304-348-7948, ryan.pritt@wvgazettemail.com or follow him @RPritt on Twitter.
