By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
Moorefield 8-10 Softball All-Stars held a 2-nil advantage from the second inning to the sixth inning where the Chapmanville All-Stars rallied to tie the game forcing extra innings and snatched a 4-3 victory in the second round of the West Virginia Little League State Tournament in Hedgesville on Saturday.
Moorefield had a bye on the first round, while Chapmanville collected a first round 15-1 win over Cowen/Tri-County to reach the Herd semifinals.
Moorefield starting pitcher Margo See tossed 13 strikeouts over six innings allowing four hits and two runs and relief pitcher Danica Mongold notched one strikeout with three hits and two runs in one inning.
Chapmanville starting pitcher Sadie Eldridge recorded seven strikeouts, allowed two hits with two runs over four innings and Charity Blankenship added six strikeouts with two hits and no runs in the last three frame.
Chapmanville leadoff batter Rylee Allen hit a single to commence the state tournament game against Moorefield.
See countered with back-to-back strikeouts before hitting Ella Mendez with a pitch and retired the side with another strikeout.
Moorefield’s Addie Baldwin hit a line drive to the pitcher, then See struck out before Danica Mongold received a walk and was stranded on a strikeout to Chloe Mongold.
In the second inning, Chapmanville’s Anne Chryssofos slammed a single into left center field and attempted to turn the hit into a double, but Moorefield’s Hadley Weese threw to See who fired to Danica Mongold for the out at second base.
See issued a walk before retiring the side throwing a strikeout and inducing a groundout.
Moorefield took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning and it all started with patience at the plate as Tatum Crites drew a walk and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Reagan Funk.
Sara Sherman executed a bunt single to put runners on the corners, then swiped second base.
Crites scored on a wild pitch for the initial 1-0 Moorefield edge.
Moorefield’s Addie Fitzwater slapped an RBI single into left field to create a 2-0 lead.
Eldridge sandwiched two strikeouts to Arianne Taylor and Allison Bailey around a walk to Weese to close the frame.
See issued a free pass to Chapmanville’s Sadie Kovach before countering with two strikeouts in the third inning.
Chapmanville loaded the bases on two straight walks to Kerrigan Blair and Eldridge, but the ducks were left on the pond as See escaped trouble with a strikeout.
Moorefield went down in order on strikeouts to Presley Shockey and See around a groundout by Baldwin.
Chapmanville started the fourth inning with Blankenship ripping the ball to Moorefield right fielder Arianne Taylor, but the throw to first base went awry allowing advancement to second base.
Blankenship advanced to third base on a groundout before being left aboard on a pop-up and strikeout.
Eldridge tossed a strikeout to Danica Mongold, then issued a walk to Chloe Mongold before jamming Crites for a pop-up and Funk grounded out on a bunt.
See put Chapmanville down in order during the fifth inning with two strikeouts and a groundout fielded by Funk.
Blankenship came in to pitch for Chapmanville and collected a bunt for an out off the bat of Sherman, then sandwiched strikeouts to Fitzwater and Weese around hitting Taylor with a pitch.
Showing a sign of good sportsmanship, Chapmanville first baseman Ella Mendez gave a fist bump to Taylor.
Moorefield brought in closer Danica Mongold in the sixth inning, but Chapmanville was able to find a way to even the score at two runs apiece forcing extra innings.
Allen single then Mongold countered with a strikeout.
Eldridge launched an RBI double into center field to cut the deficit in half, 2-1.
Mendez singled, but Eldridge was thrown out at third base by Sherman.
Blankenship crushed the game-tying RBI double before a groundout retired the side.
After a strikeout to Bailey, Shockey drew a walk for Moorefield.
Baldwin hit into a fielder’s choice out, then See grounded out on a save by second baseman Chryssofos throwing from her knees to first base.
See returned to the circle in the seventh inning for Moorefield as Chryssofos was at second base due to the extra innings runner rule.
Chapmanville’s Shelby Collins singled, the See responded with a strikeout.
Bailey Baker bunted back to See with a fielder’s choice throw to third base which went awry allowing a run to score.
Chapmanville took a 4-2 lead as Sadie Kovich garnered an RBI groundout before See retired the side with a strikeout.
See was placed at second base in the bottom of the seventh inning and Danica Mongold smacked an infield single beating the throw.
Blankenship counted with back-to-back strikeouts.
See scored on a wild pitch sliding across home plate just before the tag as the catcher attempted to get the ball to Blankenship.
Funk drew a walk and dashed to second base as Chapmanville was distracted.
Blankenship sealed the extra inning state tournament win with a strikeout on Sherman.
Moorefield lived to fight another day earning a 1-0 win over Sophia behind a no-hitter pitched by See with 13 strikeouts.
The game winning run for Moorefield came in the sixth inning as Tatum Crites singled and scored on a fielder’s choice hit from Sherman.
Chapmanville edged Huntington 3-2 to win the Herd championship bracket and advance to the state final four.
Moorefield faced off against Mountain State on Monday with Huntington awaiting the winner on Tuesday in the Herd consolation final to move on to the state semifinals.
