Mountaineers Defeated by Huntingdon Hawks
Another home game for the Mountaineers, taking on the Huntingdon Hawks from Alabama. After a scoreless game at noon, the Mountaineers prepared for another round. The women, already losing their playoffs spot with their March 30 loss to Covenant College, played a hard 5 innings with them falling to the Hawks with a score of 2-16.
After their first win against the Mountaineers, the Hawks were ready once again. The first inning, began with a walk by pitcher KP, but resulted in an eventual out by Mattie Shivel with the runner intending on third base. The team worked diligently at keeping the game scoreless.
In the second inning, however, we watch the Mountaineers allow the Hawks to fill their bases; one walk when Mountaineer’s pitcher, tosses a bad one and hits batter Paige Taylor. With the limitless walks, the bases became loaded and the Mountaineers began to awaken. Huntingdon scores and this makes Berea call for a pitcher change, switching KP out with number 7, Jacqui Howard. The change did not stop the Hawks from successfully getting on base. After the pitcher change, the Mountaineers allowed for two more runs, taking the score to 0-3, Hawks on top. This did not stop Berea from a dominating defense. Given a base hit (with bases still loaded), the women hustled and got an out at home. Mountaineers ended the second with the score being 0-7.
The third inning approaches, and Berea is back defending their bases. Looking livelier than previous innings, the Mountaineers got two quick outs, one thanks to a fly ball caught near first base and another thanks to shortstop Devan Dowdell and her quick feet hustling to make the play. The Hawks maintained their heavy hitting and bumped the score up to 0-9. Berea was up to bat, after receiving their last out. With three Mountaineers on base (#20 Madison Stanfield, #3 Hallie Mattingly, and #13 Lillian Setters) things began looking up. Berea scores one run after Huntingdon allows KP to walk. The bleachers holding the Mountaineers’ support team seemed to wake up on this sunny Saturday afternoon. This could be the long-awaited home win fans anticipated. With double-zero, Abby Nash, hit with the ball, Berea received a free walk, advancing Berea’s score from one run to two.
Entering the fourth inning, Berea played smart conducting quick outs (from an injured Abby Nash), but with the umpire calling bad calls, the Hawks too their lead to ten. Moreover, scoring became constant, for it seemed as if the Mountaineers just could not stop walking Huntingdon. From the simplest bunt to the far right field hits, Berea could not manage staying on top of the ball. At the end of the fourth, what Bereans were hoping became a major comeback seemed unobtainable with the way the opposing team dominated. In the fifth inning, Berea longed for six runs to keep the game going, but could not score against the Hawks. The game ended 2-16.
Catch the Mountaineers in action April 11th.
