Oak Glen softball squad gets a tough victory
VIENNA – Experience can never be overlooked regardless of the sport being played.
That was the case on Wednesday as the Golden Bears looked to improve on their showing from a year ago at the West Virginia High School State Softball tournament played at the Vienna Softball Complex. Oak Glen senior Hannah Clunk knew she needed to step up her play if she and her Golden Bears teammates were to advance into the next round.
“I was just looking for something I could drive,” explained Clunk. “I got it and just hit it as hard as I could.”
Clunk’s two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the difference as Oak Glen held on for a 3-2 victory over Wyoming East in an opening-round game.
“It’s important to get this one,” continued Clunk. “Winning this one gives me plenty of time to rest before I have to pitch again tonight.”
Clunk hurled a complete game, seven hitter, striking out eight and walking two. Her opponent on the mound, Wyoming East’s Holly Brehm, also pitched a complete game and struck out 12, but was tagged with the loss.
Freshman McKayla Goodlin got things rolling for the Northern Panhandle Bears with a one-out single just past the third baseman. Sophomore Hanna Patterson followed with another single to center which was misplayed by the Warriors’ center fielder allowing Goodlin to get to third and Patterson to second.
Clunk, who has struck out in her first plate appearance and drew a walk and scored the Bears’ first run in the fourth inning, then worked the count full before drilling a pitch in the gap between left and center fields to bring home the tying and winning runs.
With the win Oak Glen advanced into Wednesday’s championship bracket and took on Herbert Hoover in the final game of the opening day of the tournament. Both teams got on the scoreboard in the first inning with the Bears’ Hanna Patterson, who had opened the game with a sharp single to left field and advanced to third on a wild pitch, coming home on a ground out by Alyssa Creese.
Hoover fought back in their half of the inning to take the lead for good. Leadoff hitter Rebekah Woody got things rolling with a double in the gap in right center. Sophomore Jessica Seafler followed with a single to put runners at first and second with no outs.
Oak Glen’s defense then let them down as Hoover’s Kelsey Naylor hit a soft grounder to first, but the play was mishandled for an error and allowed Woody to cross home with the tying run. The Huskies took the lead for good two batters later when catcher Madison Bowles hit a grounder to third that plated Seafler.
The game remained close for the next two innings as Herbert Hoover added a run in the third on a walk, single and an error. However, things completely fell apart for Oak Glen in the fourth as the Huskies sent 19 batters to the plate, scoring 13 runs on 12 hits enroute to ending the Bears’ day with a 16-1 mercy rule decision.
“What can you say about an inning like that,” veteran head coach Morgan Bricker explained. “It happens. You don’t want it to happen, but it happens. The key is that you learn from it. They (Hoover) did a nice job at the plate, but we didn’t make some plays that we should have made and that made our pitcher have to work harder.
“The big thing is, and this is what I told the kids, we still have a game tomorrow (Thursday). You want the kids to forget about this one and get ready for the next one.”
Oak Glen, now 23-9-1, will take on six time champion Chapmanville at 9:45 a.m. wtoday ith the winner to take on Herbert Hoover for the Class AA title at 2:15 p.m. Clunk picked up the loss, allowing six earned runs in her three innings of work, while the win went to Herbert Hoover’s Dellani Fix, who pitched all five innings, allowing five hits and striking out four.
Oak Glen (23-9-1) 100 00 – 1 5 2
Herbert Hoover (26-5) 201 (13)x — 16 14 0
Oak Glen hitting: Hanna Patterson 3-3, run scored
Herbert Hoover hitting: Rebekah Woody 3-4, double, RBI; Megan Seafler 2-3; Kelsey Naylor 1-3, double, 2 RBI; Dellani Fix 1-3, double, 2 RBI; Madison Bowles 2-3; Mallori Chapman 2-2, double, 3 RBI; Taylor Carpenter 1-2, triple, 2 RBIs.
Game One
Wyoming East (23-5) 000 110 0 – 2 7 1
Oak Glen (23-8-1) 000 120 x – 3 6 3
WP: Hannah Clunk 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO
LP: Holly Brehm 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 12 SO
Wyoming East hitting: Holly Brehm 2-2, Rivers Wade 2-3, RBI, Autumn Miller double
Oak Glen hitting: Hanna Patterson 2-3, Clunk 1-2, double, 2 RBIs, Hannah Walker 1-2, RBI