Cave Spring softball won the 2013 Group AA state title with a combination of gritty pitching, clutch hitting and late-inning victories.
Friday afternoon in the 2014 season opener, the Lady Knights picked up right where they left off.
Rebounding from a 4-1 deficit after five innings, Cave Spring scored 5 runs in their half of the sixth and held on for the 6-5 win over talented Northside and their all-star pitcher Ruthie Williams. It was the Vikings first loss of the season.
“These two teams are evenly matched,” Northside head coach Lynn Richmond pointed out after the game. “We played with them. But, it was typical of an early-season game. There were fielding errors and we just made one or two that were the difference.”
After the two teams battled through two scoreless innings, Northside got on the board first in the top of the third. Madison Via and Taylor Carter opened with singles and Williams doubled down the left field line for a 1-0 Viking lead. After a walk loaded the bases with none out, Cave Spring pitcher Taylor Asimakopoulos induced a roller that Knight catcher Pami White scooped up, touched the plate and threw to first for the 2-3 double play. Asimakopoulos got the next Viking batter to short-circuit the Northside rally.
Cave Spring tied things up in the fourth before Northside came through with a 3-run fifth to take a 4-1 lead.
Via opened with a shot through the right side and Carter beat out an infield grounder. Williams doubled to center to plate the second Viking run. A fielders choice scored the third Northside run and when Megan Hubbard beat out a chopper to third, pinch runner Sydney Smith crossed the plate to give the Vikings the 3-run cushion.
Cave Spring came to life in the bottom of the sixth. Abby Beatty singled and Kylie Kent followed with a drive to center that skipped to the fence. The Knights got to within 4-3 and loaded the bases, keyed by an 11-pitch at-bat from Pami White that resulted in a base on balls. Hailey Sitze delivered with a 2-run double to put Cave Spring up 5-4 and the Knights got the eventual game-winner courtesy of a Viking error moments later.
“I told myself I’m not going to lose this at-bat,” White said of her battle with Williams that had foul balls scattered around Knights Field.
Northside made things interesting in the top of the seventh when Carly Altizer’s double plated a run and Katelyn Bowden’s infield single put runners at the corners with two out. But, Asimakopoulos got the final out on a fly to left.
“Northside is very good team and a good hitting team,” Asimakopoulos said afterward. ” I wasn’t comfortable until that final fly ball went in the glove.”
“We’re both good teams,” Cave Spring head coach Nick Sharp noted. ” It’s early in the season and we’re much better defensively than we showed today. We’re a good hitting team and we came around at the end. I told them to keep digging.”
Bill Turner
