By Carl Holcomb
The Cougars were roaring with celebration noise honoring their seniors and even had bird calling noise makers.
The Cardinals heard the call and took roost in Baker as Spring Mills sang its own tune in sounding off to an 18-1 victory.
East Hardy Softball honored its trio of seniors: Adriana Gonzalez (honorary), Gracie Heishman and Madison Strosnider.
Gonzalez is a foreign exchange student and recognized as an honorary senior for the softball team playing in left field and batting, in addition to being a cheerleader.
Gonzalez is a member of the National Honor Society, Future Farmers of America and Spanish Club. Gonzalez plans to study dermatology in college.
Heishman is the Cougars catcher and co-captain. Heishman is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, NHS, FFA, Student Council, Baker Ruritan and Tai-County Fair Lamb Competitor.
Heishman has competed in softball (PVC 2nd team), track (state medalist), wrestling (2x PVC champion) and two-time state cross country qualifier. Heishman plans to attend Potomac State College of WVU to study surgical technology.
Strosnider competed in wrestling and softball (1st team All-PVC). Strosnider is the EHHS National Technical Honor Society president and a member of the FCA and FFA.
Strosnider will be playing softball for Richard Bland College of William and Mary College. Strosnider will be pursuing an animal science degree with hopes of having a livestock veterinarian office in the future.
East Hardy took the initial lead in the opening frame, then the Cardinals scored 18 unanswered runs tying the game in the second inning prior to blasting 11 runs in the third inning and tacking on six runs in the fourth inning en route to the 18-1 win.
Strosnider pitched 2.2 innings and allowed 13 runs on 14 hits with 6 strikeouts and one walk. Alexis Baker finished the game for the Cougars, allowing six runs on six hits and issued four walks.
Baker’s first batter fouled the ball off 20 times prior to a walk. Most of the balls landed on the elementary school roof with one Cardinal player noting the janitor was going to have quite a surprise tomorrow.
One fan caught a foul ball and a Cougars player said that would be considered an out in Banana Ball.
Strosnider and Bella Bauserman accounted for the only two hits of the game for East Hardy. Bauserman plated Jaylynn Combs on an RBI single into left field and advanced to second on an error for the first run during the opening stanza.
Booth picked up the win for the Cardinals tossing seven strikeouts and allowed only two hits. A couple of the Spring Mills players had fun posing as the letter ‘K’ after each strikeout. Jenkins added one more strikeout for the Cardinals in the last inning.
Butler, Darling and Wagner led the Spring Mills with three hits apiece. The Cardinals hammered home runs thrice by Graham, Nutter and Pusey in the win.
East Hardy finished the regular season with a win over Martinsburg. The Cougars face Tygarts Valley in the Class A Region II Tournament this week in a best-of-three series at home as the second seed with the winner advancing to the state tournament.
