Tuesday afternoon’s softball matchup at Cave Spring Field had players, coaches and fans scratching their heads. Where exactly did that ball land?
According to the umpiring crew, who had the best angle, the fly down the right field line was a fair ball, and Knight catcher Pami White circled the bases for what was ruled an inside-the-park home run, giving Cave Spring the 10-inning, 6-5 win over River Ridge rival Salem.
Salem protested with vigor, but the ruling stood and Cave Spring improved to 6-1 on the season. Salem fell to 5-4.
“I wasn’t sure about it,” White said afterward. “I heard someone shout ‘go’, so I just kept going.”
As Salem tossed the ball back to the infield, thinking foul ball all the way, White carouselled the bases with the after-burners turned on.
The three extra innings needed to decide the winner were a stark contrast to the initial seven innings of regulation. After the two teams only produced one run each in regulation, they combined for nine in the three extra frames.
Cave Spring pitcher Taylor Asimakopoulos and Salem hurler Andrea Christian engaged in a scoreless duel through the first five innings. Salem broke the egg in the top of the sixth when shortstop Lexi Bryant sent an Asimakopoulos offering just over the fence in dead center for a solo homer and 1-0 Spartan lead.
Cave Spring answered in their half of the sixth. Kylie Kent got things going with a one out double. Cave Spring then rolled the dice, and Kent stole third on a close play at the bag. Moments later White laced a shot through the left side, scoring Kent to knot things at 1-1, and ending the day in the circle for Christian.
Neither team scratched in the seventh.
With the extra-inning rule of each teaming starting with a runner at second base, Salem scored in the 8th on a Cave Spring throwing error with two outs. The Knights came back in the bottom of the frame when Abby Beatty scored after Salem misplayed a sacrifice fly.
The Spartans looked ready to take control in the 9th when Sarah LaFrancois hit a RBI double with two outs and Kelsey Johnson singled to right moments later, plating LaFrancois for a 4-2 Salem lead.
The Knights responded again, this time loading the bases before Beatty doubled to right scoring two with the trailing runner thrown out at the plate to preserve the 4-4 tie and moving things to the deciding 10th.
Salem loaded the bases with no outs. After a short-to-home groundout got the first out, Salem moved ahead 5-4 on a wild pitch. Asimakopoulos, the ultimate jam-master, then struck out the final two Spartan batters to keep things close and set the stage for the bizarre finish.
“We just didn’t adjust in the early innings,” Cave Spring head coach Nick Sharp noted of the early tight game. “We’ve got to fix that and get our offense going. Both teams played hard. I’m proud of my girls; we don’t give up.”
In addition to White, Asimakopoulos and Jordan Clifton each had two hits for Cave Spring. LaFrancois paced the Salem attack with three hits.
Bill Turner
