A late scoring barrage lifted the West All-Stars past the East squad by a 8-4 final count in the Eastern District Softball All-Star game on Tuesday night at Cambridge City Park.
“It’s always nice to win that last game of the year,” West co-head coach Kirby Shivers of Ridgewood said following the contest. “You don’t always get to do that. Tonight was fun, the girls played hard and it was a good time.”
Coshocton’s Steve Jones shared coaching duties with Shivers for the West All-Stars.
With the game tied at 4-4 after seven innings of play, the West got busy with the bats to jump in front for good.
Lindsay Kite (Tri-Valley) led off the eighth inning with a basehit for the West, Haley Koimerton (Ridgewood) then hit a come-backer to the mound that was booted for an error to put runners on first and second with no outs. Up next Kim Michael (Ridgewood) laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by the East catcher Sam Cianni (Buckeye Local) whose throw to first base was wide allowing both Kite and Koimerton to score putting the West All-Stars in front 6-4.
The West then plated a pair of insurance runs in the ninth inning to provide the final margin of victory.
Andrea McWhorter led off the inning by coaxing a walk, and then advanced to second on a ground out by Taylor Larocca (Dover). Carly Clark (Strasburg) then drilled a double to left-center to plate McWhorter. After a ground out by Rachel Townsend (John Glenn) for the second out of the frame, Alyssa Wright (Meadowbrook) came through with an infield single that scored Clark for the game’s final run.
The West All-Stars broke in front with a run in the top of the fourth for an early 1-0 lead, with Kite coming around to score following a lead-off single.
Undaunted, the East team came roaring back with a two-run rally in the bottom of the frame to take the 2-1 lead, with Sabrina Cunningham (Harrison Central) delivering the big blow with an RBI double.
The West responded with a run in the fifth as Kristen Raach (Newcomerstown) led off with a single, and came around to score on a ground out by Larocca to tie the contest at 2-2.
In the seventh inning, the West tacked on a pair of runs to retake the lead at 4-2, with Jenna Shingary (John Glenn) ripping a double to center field to plate both runs. In the bottom of the inning, the East added pair of runs to pull even at 4-4 before the East cut loose to score four unanswered runs for the victory.
Townsend picked up the pitching win for the West, hurling the final three innings with two strikeouts and one walk.
Pacing the West All-Stars’ offense was Kite with a pair of singles, while Clark and Shingary each doubled.
Cunningham swung the big bat for the East squad, finishing with a double, single with an RBI.
Taking the loss from the pitchers circle for the East was Cheyene Moore (Beallsville), who worked the final three innings.
Rachel Duncan of St. Clairsville and Carrie Lase-Whitehead coached the East All-Stars.
Local players in the game for the West included Candace Neff, Wright (Meadowbrook); Maggie Starr (Cambridge); Shingary, Townsend (John Glenn); Ashley Butcher (Shenandoah); Raach, McWhorter (Newcomerstown) and for the East, Linzey Burkhart (Barnesville).
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