Berea Edges Out Close Victory in Final Game of the Season
The victory won tonight by Berea College’s Lady Mountaineers was nothing short of tremendous. With a final score of eight to seven over Alice Lloyd College, this game kept both the fans and players on their toes. The scoreless first and second innings, and explosive fourth made for a highly unpredictable game which could not have been more exciting to watch.
Coming off of an eleven to three victory only a short time earlier, the Lady Mountaineers no doubt felt themselves to be a far superior team. The first and second innings proved to be more challenging than they expected, and neither team scored a run until the third, when Berea’s Hallie Mattingly scored. The fourth inning caught both teams off their guard as they began slugging wildly and driving home runs one after another. Both the Lady Mountaineers and the Lady Eagles scored six runs and brought the score to 7-6, Berea.
Two more scoreless innings dragged by as it seemed that the away team would catch up at any play. Finally in the seventh inning, Alice Lloyd’s Jada Estep singled out to center field and batted home Sam Sturgill to tie up the game, seven to seven. An extra inning began, and at this point, the few people who remained at the field were all on the edges of their seats. With one player on base and the inning winding to a close, Jacqui Howard stepped to the plate. After taking a few test swings she set her sights on the outfield and smashed one over third that would send Hallie Mattingly sprinting home from second base. As she rounded third, her teammates all leapt from their seats and rushed her as she crossed home. With a stunning performance all evening, the Lady Mountaineers won their final game of the season, on senior night no less. If one could think of the best way to end a season, it would not compare to this victory, which was earned through both skill and stubbornness. With this win, the Berea College softball has written the final page of what will be remembered as the 2018 season.
