New Richmond – With a completely different cast in a different landscape, Wyoming East has returned to the top of its section.
Olivia Hylton allowed just one hit over five innings of work, racking up five RBIs at the plate as Wyoming East defeated Bluefield 9-0 in five innings Saturday, claiming the Class AA Region 3, Section 1 championship in New Richmond.
“Well when Liv pitches good we normally hit decent – enough to win,” East head coach Doc Warner said. “When she hit the home run, the game was over. I knew the rest of them would hit and whenever we hit the ball we’re tough.”
Hylton was stellar from the jump, inducing back-to-back groundouts to start the game and stranding a runner at third after a two-out triple.
In the bottom of the frame she provided herself with all of the run support she would need.
With one out, catcher Paige Laxton smacked a single off the wall in right, scoring when Hylton, batting cleanup, crushed a two-run homer over the fence in left.
“I spent a lot of time in the cage the last two days, which we had off,” Hylton said. “I told myself that I had to focus and get out there and swing and let my bat do the work.”
Both teams went in order in the second but the third proved pivotal.
With two outs, Bluefield catcher Grace Richardson stepped to the plate and was thrown out for using an illegal bat.
“Sometimes coaches are the last to know,” Bluefield head coach Barry Reed said. “We’ve played 22 games with it and I thought everyone was using a legal bat and that was my fault.”
The loss of Richardson hurt two-fold as East ran freely around the bases in the bottom of the frame.
Maddie Clark got things rolling for East with a one-out single, stealing her way to second and third. Laxton was then hit by a pitch and Kayley Bane drew a walk to load the bases for Hytlon, who lined a double over the head of the centerfielder to score Clark and Laxton’s courtesy runner. A wild pitch allowed Bane to come home and an RBI single from Andrea Laxton scored Hylton.
Laxton scored the final run of the inning, coming home on a wild pitch to make it 7-0.
“We didn’t play as good as I hoped we would play,” Reed said. “The score was 2-0 when all that happened and I think looking back, maybe it would’ve been a much closer game if (Richardson wasn’t ejected). So what can you say?
“It wasn’t Grace’s fault. If anything it was my fault because we never talked about legal and illegal bats this year.”
The Lady Warriors put the finishing touches on the game in the fourth as Hylton and Paige Laxton each drove in runs to make in 9-0, bringing the run rule into play. Needing two runs to keep their season alive, the Beavers had no answer for Hylton who retired the side in order.
“When somebody gets a hit that drives me to push harder,” Hylton said. “I feel like after the hit in the first inning I had to tell myself I can’t let this run score. I had to do whatever I can to keep this from scoring.”
Wyoming East will take a week off and travel to Independence on June 14 for the first game of the Region 3 championship.
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94
B: 000 00 – 0 1 0
WE: 205 2x – 9 7 0
Pitching and catching – B: Cara Brown and Grace Richardson; WE: Olivia Hylton and Paige Laxton. WP: Hylton, LP: Brown. Hitting – B: Abby Richardson 1-2 (3B); WE: Maddie Clark 2-3, Paige Laxton 1-1 (RBI), Olivia Hylton 3-3 (HR, 2B, 5 RBI), Andrea Laxton 1-3 (RBI).
