Rally carries

WHS to win
By Andy Kruse
Special to the Democrat

It was a photo finish at the Carroll Complex Tuesday when Watauga scored in the bottom of the seventh to put down South Caldwell 3-2 in a Northwestern 4-A Conference softball showdown.

With runners on second and third base, Watauga shortstop Beth Wilson hit the ball solid to the Spartan shortstop, who was unable to throw out Kara Tester at home. Tester barely slid under the tag for the winning run.

Most of the game was a defensive battle except for the first inning when both teams scored two runs each because of shaky defensive play.

South Caldwell (8-4) scored its runs off a wild pitch compounded with an error on a throw.

Watauga (5-9) scored its runs after loading the bases with walks. Kayla Kincaid hit the ball to the shortstop who bobbled it, allowing both Hannah Yates and Beth Wilson to score.

Not much was doing on the bases for the rest of the game.

Watauga pitcher Nicole Reilly kept things in good rhythm throwing a superb game with 11 strikeouts and only two walks.

“I always struggle with the first inning,” Reilly said. “But then I was really just trying to stay warm and keep things going.”

In the last inning, Watauga was all about business when they came to the plate. Tester started out with a bunt single followed by a single to center field by Yates, who then stole second to put both runners in scoring position.

Wilson proceeded to drive in Tester with her game winning RBI.

Yates was excited about having put the winning run in scoring position.

“I was nervous, but I had to be aggressive,” Yates said.

The game was a repeat of the same matchup earlier this season that also came down to the wire and ended with a Watauga victory by one run.

“We played much better defensively today,” Watauga coach Brian Vannoy said. “And our hitting came through in the end.”