Beavers open section with win, JM softball wins sectional title
May 10—BLUEFIELD — The Bluefield Baseball team began the defense of its sectional championship on Monday.
Hunter Harmon struck out eight batters over 5 1-3 innings and the Beavrs opened Class AA, Region 3, Section 1 play with an 11-1 win over visiting Westside at Bowen Field, on Monday.
The Beavers will play the winner of Monday's game between Wyoming East and PikeView at Bowen Field today. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Harmon (3-1) scattered six Wyoming East hits, allowing one earned run. He walked one. Davis Rockness came out in the fifth for the final two outs, collecting a pair of strikeouts.
"Hunter threw almost the whole game and Davis came in and got some work. Hunter threw 75 pitches. Ryker [Brown] and Kerry [Collins] got to rest tonight ... we're trying to rest those guys a l little bit," said Bluefield head coach Jimmy Redmond, whose team improved to 16-6 overall.
Top-of-the-order batter Bryson Redmond had a pair of hits — including an inside-the-park home run for the Beavers — and finished with two RBIs, two stolen bases and two runs scored.
Caleb Fuller and Ryker Brown had two runs scored with an RBI apiece and Kameron Gore also had two hits and an RBI. Harmon and Rockness each had a hit and an RBI.
Coach Redmond was satisfied with the workmanlike circumstances of Monday's victory. It wasn't anything 'particularly special' — just the kind of steady ball he likes to see his kids playing headed into sectional play.
"We did what we had to do tonight. We made plays in the field when they hit. and I thought we hit it pretty good," said Redmond, whose team is ranked ninth in the current Metro Sports Class AA power rankings.
Kevin Mitchell had a double and an RBI for the Renegades. Kadien Vance went 2-for-3 Westside. Starting pitcher Alex Brunty absorbed the defeat.
Softball
Sectional Title Game
James Monroe 6
River View 5
LINDSIDE — River View hung in there, but in the end James Monroe was in no mood to play two games on Monday night.
Emily Bailey's RBI groundout plated Shannon Phipps in the bottom of the seventh inning to seal a 6-5 walk-off victory over the visiting Lady Raiders in Monday's Class A, Region 3, Section 1 championship game at James Monroe High School.
The title game was moved to Monday night after Friday's originally-scheduled game date was washed out by heavy rains.
Bryleigh Thomas went the distance for the win, striking out eight River View batters and walking three. She allowed five runs on four hits. She went 2-for-3 at the plate with a triple for James Monroe.
Phipps and Madison Vass each had doubles for the Lady Mavs. Bailey had a hit and three RBIs.
Hannah Honosky struck out five JM batters and walked none over six innings en route to absorbing the loss for River View.
Brooke Fuller went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for River View. Chloe Mitchem had a double for River View and Amber Crabtree also had a big hit for the Lady Raiders in the sectional nailbiter.
James Monroe will advance to the regionals, where the Mavs will face the winner of tonight's sectional championship game between Greenbrier West and Midland Trail. The schedule for the regional series will be determined and announced after the conclusion of tonight's game.
Virginia Softball
Richlands 12
Patrick Henry 1
GLADE SPRING, Va. — Erica Lamie had a double and three RBIs and the Lady Blue Tornado picked up a non-district road win at Patrick Henry.
Kira Vance went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for Richlands, which generated eight hits on the day.
Rachel Rife went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Arin Rive went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Alyssa Lee had an RBI and three runs scored.
Arin Rife struck out four and walked one over the first two innings, Lamie struck out four over the next three and Vance struck out one as she closed out the final frame for the Lady Blue Tornado.
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