Watauga needs

extra inning

to move past Ashe
From staff reports

Watauga’s softball team got an RBI single from Kara Tester in the bottom of the eighth inning and beat Ashe County 2-1 Tuesday night at the Carroll Complex.

It was a much different situation for Watauga (1-1), which got beat by a good Reagan team 11-0 last Saturday. Pitchers Kelsey Rominger and Maddi Bakken allowed just four hits between them. Each pitched four innings.

“We played much better today which was nice to see after we struggled defensively at Reagan on Saturday,” Watauga coach Brian Vannoy said.

Bakken struck out eight and walked on, while Rominger fanned five and didn’t walk any.

Bakken also played a role in producing Watauga’s game-winning run. She started the inning with a single and reached second base on an error.

Kristin Wells sacrificed Bakken to third, and Bakken scored on Tester’s single to right field.

Ashe County took the lead when it scored a run in the fifth inning. Watauga struck back when Rominger was hit by a pitch and then moved to second on a wild pitch.

Jennifer Ballew moved her to third on a bunt, and Bakken drove Rominger in with a fielder’s choice to second base.

“We faced a very good pitcher today and did a good job of putting the ball in play, but we need to start hitting the ball with more authority and more consistently,” Vannoy said. “ But I thought we did the little things better today.”


Watauga 2, Ashe County 1
Ashe County 000 010 00 — 1 4 3
Watauga 000 010 01 — 2 4 4
Yearick and Hegar. Rominger, Bakken (5) and Pierce. W—Bakken (1-0), Yearick (0-1). 2b—Ashe, Bowlin. SB—Ashe, Bowlin; Watauga, Butler. HBP—Watauga, Rominger (by Yearick).