Megan Botts' walk-off triple leads to Whiteoak win over Lynchburg-Clay
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
MOWRYSTOWN — Scoring a combined 33 runs between the two Highland County counterparts, the Whiteoak Lady Wildcats gained a walk-off win over Lynchburg-Clay as Megan Botts hit a game-winning two-out triple to send WHS to a 17-16 Southern Hills Athletic Conference win Tuesday night.
The game-winning hit consisted of Botts rounding the bases and batting in teammates Destiny Price and Cole for the final two runs, which completed a five-run bottom of the seventh inning for the Lady ’Cats on their home field.
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“Lynchburg-Clay is a lot like us. They are young, they definitely can hit a ball, but I told our girls before we took the field that you have to want it because (Lynchburg-Clay) didn’t come all the way from Lynchburg to just give it to you,” WHS head coach Mike Ames said. “The final half inning was something. I knew they could do it, and that was one of my seniors who hit the game-winning triple and she got the game ball. We are growing as a team and growing as players.
“They are starting to gel. I told the girls before the start of the game that if they keep their head up they can do it, and at one time (Lynchburg-Clay) got a good-sized lead, but in typical Whiteoak style, we don’t give up and it worked out for us.”
Botts finished the game 2-for-5 with not only the triple, but four RBI, one run and one walk. Cole led WHS at 4-for-5 with one RBI and two runs. WHS had three other players finish with at least three hits in Katie Ames at 3-for-4 with three runs, one RBI and one walk; Cylee Bratton at 3-for-5 with two run, one RBI and a double; and Sydnie Raines at 3-for-5 with five RBI and one run.
Having one hit in the game for WHS were Courtney Gross (one walk, three runs) and Price (one walk, two runs, two RBI). Katelyn Everhart scored two runs for WHS, and Alex Greene forced a walk and scored a run.
In all, WHS totaled 17 runs on 17 hits, while the Lady Mustangs totaled 16 runs on 16 hits. WHS forced five walks, and LC forced four.
As for the Lady Mustangs at the plate, they were led by the duo of Hannah Morgan at 3-for-5 with three runs and one RBI and Haleigh Snider at 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs.
Serena Smith and Sierra Benney each finished with two hits for LC as Smith was 2-for-4 with one walk, two RBI and two runs. Benney finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run and one walk.
Having one hit each for the Lady Mustangs were Serah Whitacre (a double, one walk, three runs, one steal), Cailee Elam (two RBI, two runs), Chelsea Hart (two runs, one RBI, one walk), Aaliyah Knight (one RBI), Bailey Baker (one RBI) and Ashley Ernst (one RBI).
LC was the first team to score in the game with a two-run top of the first inning, but Whiteoak led by a 3-2 score once the bottom of the first was complete. Neither team scored a run in the second inning, and in the third LC jumped ahead with a seven-run inning for a 9-3 lead after three innings.
WHS added one run in the bottom of the fourth, then regained the lead with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 12-9 advantage. LC made it a one-run deficit with two runs in the top of the sixth and took the lead in the top of the seventh inning with five runs. WHS had answered that barrage of scoring with some of their own, equaling the feat by scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh to defend their home field while gaining the SHAC win.
The game-winning hit consisted of Botts rounding the bases and batting in teammates Destiny Price and Cole for the final two runs, which completed a five-run bottom of the seventh inning for the Lady ’Cats on their home field.
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“Lynchburg-Clay is a lot like us. They are young, they definitely can hit a ball, but I told our girls before we took the field that you have to want it because (Lynchburg-Clay) didn’t come all the way from Lynchburg to just give it to you,” WHS head coach Mike Ames said. “The final half inning was something. I knew they could do it, and that was one of my seniors who hit the game-winning triple and she got the game ball. We are growing as a team and growing as players.
“They are starting to gel. I told the girls before the start of the game that if they keep their head up they can do it, and at one time (Lynchburg-Clay) got a good-sized lead, but in typical Whiteoak style, we don’t give up and it worked out for us.”
Botts finished the game 2-for-5 with not only the triple, but four RBI, one run and one walk. Cole led WHS at 4-for-5 with one RBI and two runs. WHS had three other players finish with at least three hits in Katie Ames at 3-for-4 with three runs, one RBI and one walk; Cylee Bratton at 3-for-5 with two run, one RBI and a double; and Sydnie Raines at 3-for-5 with five RBI and one run.
Having one hit in the game for WHS were Courtney Gross (one walk, three runs) and Price (one walk, two runs, two RBI). Katelyn Everhart scored two runs for WHS, and Alex Greene forced a walk and scored a run.
In all, WHS totaled 17 runs on 17 hits, while the Lady Mustangs totaled 16 runs on 16 hits. WHS forced five walks, and LC forced four.
As for the Lady Mustangs at the plate, they were led by the duo of Hannah Morgan at 3-for-5 with three runs and one RBI and Haleigh Snider at 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs.
Serena Smith and Sierra Benney each finished with two hits for LC as Smith was 2-for-4 with one walk, two RBI and two runs. Benney finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run and one walk.
Having one hit each for the Lady Mustangs were Serah Whitacre (a double, one walk, three runs, one steal), Cailee Elam (two RBI, two runs), Chelsea Hart (two runs, one RBI, one walk), Aaliyah Knight (one RBI), Bailey Baker (one RBI) and Ashley Ernst (one RBI).
LC was the first team to score in the game with a two-run top of the first inning, but Whiteoak led by a 3-2 score once the bottom of the first was complete. Neither team scored a run in the second inning, and in the third LC jumped ahead with a seven-run inning for a 9-3 lead after three innings.
WHS added one run in the bottom of the fourth, then regained the lead with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 12-9 advantage. LC made it a one-run deficit with two runs in the top of the sixth and took the lead in the top of the seventh inning with five runs. WHS had answered that barrage of scoring with some of their own, equaling the feat by scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh to defend their home field while gaining the SHAC win.