Glenvar scores 6 in first to beat Salem in softball
SALEM – Glenvar scored six runs in the bottom of the first and cruised to a 7-2 win over Salem at GHS last Thursday. With the win Glenvar split the season series with Salem, with both teams winning at home.
Errors let the Spartans down, as Samantha Smith took the loss despite not allowing a single earned run. Glenvar had eight hits but five Spartan errors were the difference. Salem actually out-hit the Highlanders, 10-7, but the Spartans left 16 runners on base in seven innings.
“We didn’t play all that well, but after the first inning there was never any pressure on us,” said Glenvar coach Mike East.
Samantha Stinson tries to slap one on the ground in last week’s game with Salem.
Sarah Mullins pitched all seven innings for Glenvar and got the win despite walking six. Kayla DeHart had three hits for Glenvar, Kelsey Meador had two and Morgan Neal had two runs batted in. Smith had three hits and Amanda Dalton and Destiny Mitchen had two each for the Spartans.
Glenvar is now 7-3 on the season. Last Friday in Vinton the Highlanders dropped a 3-2 game to William Byrd. Glenvar led 2-0 into the seventh but Byrd rallied for three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning, winning when a run scored on a passed ball on a pitch where the Byrd batter struck out. Meador was the tough-luck loser, allowing just two hits.
On Tuesday the Highlanders bounced back with a 12-0 win at Covington. Meador, Mullins and Amanda Wright combined for five innings of mound work as the Highlanders won by slaughter rule. Mullins had three hits and scored twice.
Salem beat William Byrd last week, 8-2, on Wednesday at the Moyer Complex. Emily Taylor got the win and Haley Thomas and Kelsey Johnson had three hits each for the Spartans.
On Tuesday Salem improved to 3-7 with a 3-2 win over Franklin County in eight innings. The game was 1-1 after seven and Salem scored two in the top of the eighth, then held the Eagles to one run in the bottom of the inning. Emily Taylor pitched all eight innings for the Spartans.
The game ended in dramatic fashion. Franklin had scored one run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 3-2 and had two outs and no one on base. Brittany Flora hit a long fly ball to the right field fence, which Salem’s Destiny Mitchen retrieved and threw to relay girl Alex Gervais at second. Her relay to third was overthrown, but leftfielder Samantha Smith alertly backed up the throw and threw the batter out at home by 10 feet as she tried to score the tying run.
“We played a lot better,” said coach Ron Reynolds. “We played good defense, and hopefully we’ll continue to do that once the district starts.”
Salem is now off until April 17 against Cave Spring. Glenvar hosted Christiansburg on Wednesday, and then the Highlanders are off until April 17 when they host Floyd County.
