East Hardy kicked off the 13th annual Bub Riggleman Memorial Softball Tournament at the Moorefield Town Park on Friday with a 12-4 loss to Class AAA Hedgesville before returning later to tie Class AA North Marion 5-5, then started Saturday morning with a 3-3 tie against Class AAA Musselman and was eliminated by Class AA Petersburg 8-nil.
“It is very special to be a part of this tournament. It is nice to be close to home, so our fans can come and watch us play. It is good ball, all the teams are pretty solid here. Brooke Miller did a great job on the mound. We had some mental lapses and fell apart, but they really showed heart in the second game fighting back. I am proud of them pushing through,” East Hardy coach Ashley Taylor remarked.
“Bub Riggleman’s daughter Elizabeth worked with my mother, so I knew the family and her dad hunted with my dad.”
The sun was shining for this tournament which was a blessing considering the rain in previous tournaments, but a chilly wind kept the temperature down.
Hedgesville pitcher Emma Turner issued a full-count walk to East Hardy leadoff batter Lexi Strawderman.
Julia Hahn hit a single into center field for the Lady Cougars, but the throw home was in time to prevent Strawderman from scoring.
East Hardy’s Skye Metzer singled with the help of the Lady Eagles first baseman stepping away from the base on the catch prior to being stranded as Brooke Miller’s shot was caught at the fence and Leanna Basye popped out.
Brooke Miller led the Lady Cougars from the pitcher’s circle and the defense helped to limit attacks as scoring didn’t commence until the fourth inning.
Hedgesville’s Alyssa Parks made an infield single and Kelsey Turban reached on an error, but both were stranded on a groundout.
In the second inning, East Hardy’s Emma Baker singled on a blooper along the left field line and Jessica Smith followed on a fielder’s choice with Baker arriving safe at second base.
The Lady Cougars failed to capitalize on the base running as Rebecca Whetzel struck out, Madison Strawderman hit into a fielder’s choice out at third base and Lexi Strawderman grounded out.
Hedgesville’s Alexis Barnhart drew a leadoff walk, then Turner executed a bunt single before Kailan Haught bunted into fielder’s choice out at third base and Miller threw a strikeout prior to Emily Yates catching the last out.
Metzer doubled into left field with one out in the third inning, then Miller reached on an error at shortstop.
East Hardy missed the chance to score as Basye and Baker hit into fielder’s choice outs at third base.
Parks smacked a line drive to third baseman Baker, who made the catch despite injuring her hand in the process and Whetzel came in as her replacement.
Hedgesville’s Miranda Payne singled into right field and was stranded on a strikeout and groundout.
Things heated up in the fourth inning as East Hardy took a 2-0 lead, but the Lady Eagles responded with five runs for the advantage.
Smith reached base on an error and advanced to second on the play to provide the Lady Cougars with a spark on the base path and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Whetzel.
Madison Strawderman hit into a fielder’s choice as Smith was held in check and by the time turning back created no play for a throw.
Lexi Strawderman knocked an RBI single into center field for the initial East Hardy lead and Hahn added to it with an RBI sacrifice fly in center field as well with the throw coming too high at home.
The side was retired on a pop-up by Metzer at first base.
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The Lady Eagles managed to get their first runner Barnhart aboard on an error on a hard grounder fielded by Hahn which caused an injury timeout, but Hahn remained in the game despite a sore hand.
Haught hit into a fielder’s choice as Hahn was plowed into at second base causing the ball to fall out.
Sierra Turben connected for an RBI single into the right field gap to cut the deficit in half.
Hedgesville’s Isabella Forte launched the ball into left field and it was dropped by Smith which enabled a the tying run to score.
Parks stepped up and smashed a two-RBI triple into right field to put the Lady Eagles ahead before Payne added an RBI single for a 5-2 advantage.
Two flyouts sandwiched an error to end the frame.
Miller singled past the diving second baseman into center field to start the fifth inning for the Lady Cougars, then Basye sent a fly ball into right field which was dropped and recovered in time for an out at second base.
East Hardy’s Erin Riggle flew out to left field and Smith grounded out to deny a run at that point.
Hedgesville went down in order on two groundouts and a flyout.
Whetzel (cr Moyers) and Madison Strawderman drew walks to begin the sixth inning for East Hardy.
After a groundout by Lexi Strawderman, Hahn made an RBI groundout.
Metzer followed with an RBI single into the right center gap to create a 5-4 score.
A walk was issued to Miller and the runners were stranded on a groundout by Basye to Turner in the circle.
Forte garnered a leadoff double into center field for the Lady Eagles before Parks popped out to Madison Strawderman.
After a stolen base, Payne was given a walk to put runners on the corners.
Hedgesville’s Kelsey Turben delivered an RBI double into left field to extend the lead prior to Myers hitting a fly ball to Lexi Strawderman.
Barnhart crushed a three-run home run to give the Lady Eagles a 9-4 lead.
Hahn made a diving save on a single by Turner, then Haught reached base on an error and Sierra Turben loaded the bases on a walk.
Forte smacked a two-run producing single and advanced to second base on the throw home.
Turben scored the game-winning mercy rule run on a passed ball giving the Lady Eagles a 12-4 victory.
The Lady Cougars faced North Marion in the second game of the Bub Riggleman Memorial Softball Tournament.
East Hardy’s Julia Hahn singled and Brooke Miller hit into a fielder’s choice before being stranded in the opening frame.
North Marion got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning as leadoff batter Bailey Malnick garnered an inside-the-park home run created by an error in right field.
East Hardy pitcher Leanna Basye responded by inducing a groundout before throwing two strikeouts.
Smith was issued a walk by North Marion pitcher Hannah Harker in the top of the second inning, then was left on the base on a sacrifice bunt, pop-out and groundout.
North Marion’s Cassey Steen doubled into right field with two outs.
The Lady Huskies added to the lead as Madison Owens hit an RBI single into right field for a 2-0 edge, but Yates’ throw to Metzer at home plate was returned to second base for the third out.
Hahn singled into left field with one out in the third inning for the Lady Cougars.
Metzer delivered a double down the left field line to put runners in scoring position with Hahn stopping short on third base.
Hahn scored on a passed ball, then Miller struck out.
Metzer tied the game at 2-all on a passed ball before Basye was given a walk and left aboard on a strikeout to Smith.
North Marion answered as Emma Mullenax and Malnick singled with both brought home on a center field double shot by Harker for a 4-2 edge.
Basye walked Malnick before the Lady Huskies were stranded on plays by Hahn and Madison Strawderman.
Madison Strawderman reached first base on an error as the ball was dropped at first base to provide East Hardy with a runner on two outs in the fourth inning.
Malnick tracked down a hit by Lexi Strawderman and raced to touch first base, but there was two bags there with the Lady Huskies leaving the field thinking it was the last out and the umpire ruled Strawderman safe for the wrong base was tagged sending her to second base in the confusion as North Marion scrambled back.
After all the excitement, Hahn flew out to right fielder Lauren McCallister retiring the side without a run.
Moving to the sixth inning, East Hardy’s Chelsea Keller was walked and Madison Strawderman singled up the middle before both were stranded on a groundout.
North Marion’s Cara Minor scored on an RBI groundout by Steen for a 5-2 lead.
Strawderman made a backhanded stop on a single by Owens, then the frame ended on a fielder’s choice out from Hahn to Strawderman.
In the seventh inning, Hahn hit a leadoff single into center field to get the rally started for the Lady Cougars.
Metzer singled past a diving attempt by Malnick, then Miller smacked an RBI single with the ball taking a wicked hop at third base.
After a groundout, Minor came in as the relief pitcher with a 5-3 North Marion lead.
Smith plated Metzer with the help of an error at third base and Whetzel ripped an RBI single into left field to tie the game at 5-all.
A strikeout and fielder’s choice prevented another run for the Lady Cougars.
Miller came in to pitch and made three consecutive strikeouts, but the game ended in a tie due to time constraints for the tournament action.
East Hardy went home for an early dinner, then returned after breakfast on Saturday morning to face Musselman.
Errors in the first inning enabled the Lady Cougars to take a 1-0 lead as Madison Strawderman reached on a blunder at second base and advanced on a wild pitch before scoring on an error at shortstop off a grounder by Metzer.
Stocks doubled for Musselman and was left on base in the bottom of the first inning.
Lady Musselman pitcher M. Davis struck out all three batters in the second inning.
Ambrose doubled and a walk was given to Liskey by Miller, who pitched three strikeouts in the third inning to prevent a run.
The Lady Cougars loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning as Hahn singled to right field, Madison Strawderman executed a bunt single down the third base line and Lexi Strawderman drew a walk.
Metzer recorded an RBI groundout sending Hahn home and Basye plated Madison Strawderman on an error at third base to create a 3-0 lead for East Hardy.
Musselman scored twice in the fourth inning as Mahoney hit an RBI double and Bagnell scored on an error during a bunt by Cochran.
The Lady Applemen equalized the game at 3-all in the sixth inning as Anders hit an RBI single into left field with Cochran beating the throw home.
East Hardy had two settle for a tie, despite having a couple of base runners in the seventh inning as Metzer walked and Miller reached base on an error before Metzer was caught stealing, Basye grounded out, Whetzel was given a free pass prior to Smith’s fly ball being snatched in left field.
Musselman had singles by Ambrose and Mahoney in the bottom of the seventh inning, but two flyouts and a strikeout denied a run for the final score of 3-3.
Petersburg defeated the Lady Cougars 8-0 on a one-hitter with seven strikeouts from ace pitcher Carly Cooper, while East Hardy pitcher Emma Baker allowed six hits and five runs in four innings.
Petersburg’s Keri Vanmeter made an RBI single in the first inning plating Katie Koontz, who hit a leadoff double.
Cooper notched a two-run producing single in the second inning to give the Lady Vikings a 3-0 edge as Hannah Smith and Kayla Veach scored.
East Hardy’s lone hit was a double by Emma Baker in the third inning.
Petersburg scored another run in the third inning on an Smith’s RBI double plating Jenna Burgess.
Koontz reached on an error in the fourth inning and stole around to third base before scoring on Cooper’s sacrifice fly.
The Lady Vikings loaded the bases in the fifth inning on walks by Miller and a single by Veach with Hahn recording the second out on a throw home on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Koontz.
Cooper smashed a bases clearing 3-RBI double into left field to give Petersburg the 8-0 victory.
The Lady Cougars played hard in each game over the weekend in Moorefield.
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