Gallery by Heather Belcher
Beckley softball head coach J.R. Bird admitted he always likes his team’s chances with all-stater Aubrey Smallwood in the circle.
The first-year coach likes it even more when his team can spot the junior hurler an early lead.
Monday night against Greenbrier West, Beckley scored three runs in the second inning and Smallwood did the rest.
When the last out was recorded, Smallwood had 17 strikeouts and the Flying Eagles were on the favorable side of a 5-2 decision.
“If she is not the best pitcher in the state, Aubrey is one of the best pitchers in the state. We are very comfortable with her on the mound as much as possible,” Bird said.
The damage done by the home team in the second frame proved to be the difference in the game, but it didn’t come without some controversy.
After West catcher Julia Herndon erased a lead-off walk trying to steal, Beckley first baseman Brooklyn Bird reached on a single to right field.
Kacie Fraley followed with a drive over the center fielder, but Bird went down rounding second and was tagged out.
“I saw (Kacie) hitting it to center field. I didn’t know if it was over or not, so I took a halfway mark,” Brooklynn Bird said. “Then I started chucking turning to third and she kicked her leg back. I don’t think it was intentional, but I fell flat on my face.”
The Beckley coach appealed to the umpires for obstruction causing his runner to go down.
“The runner was coming around second base and apparently she tripped over the defensive player which the umpire didn’t call at first,” coach Bird said. “Once I asked him about, (the field umpire) said she did run into her, but she didn’t do it on purpose. My statement was, it didn’t matter whether it was intentional or not. It was still obstruction. He said he wasn’t sure, so that is when I asked for the home plate umpire to come out.”
After a discussion amongst the umpires, the call was over-turned and Bird was ruled safe and she went back to second base.
Greenbrier West head coach Tony Hinkle did not agree with the decision.
“Our second baseman never moved, but that is beside the point,” Hinkle said. “We knew we had to play one of our better games to beat them. That really took us out of that inning. Our team was upset because it didn’t go our way.”
The extra out proved costly for the Cavaliers.
Back-to-back walks to Taylor Scott and Katelyn Hamb allowed the Flying Eagles to strike first for a 1-0.
“It was huge,” Bird said about the call at second base. “If that is not called, there is two outs with one runner on, instead of one out. Then we get three runs.”
“I think it shook (Greenbrier West pitcher) Brilee (Redden) up a little bit,” Bird went on to say. “She struggled for a batter or two and Brilee is a really good pitcher. She doesn’t walk a lot of people. It changed the game.”
A strikeout of the next batter put the Cavaliers one out away from escaping any further damage, but the visitors could not close the deal.
A walk and a wild pitch advanced the Beckley lead to 3-0.
“We felt like we could have been out of that inning still 0-0, but when you go down three like that you are worried it could end up eight or nine to nothing,” Hinkle said. “They settle down and understood they had to play through it. I am proud of them for that.”
The lead also had an effect on Smallwood who had been a nightmare for West to hit.
“Once we get runs I kind of feel a lot better because it relieves some of the pressure off of me,” Smallwood said. “Knowing my team can get me those (runs) to give me that cushion and knowing I have a solid defense behind me really relieves the pressure.”
The visitors found some life in the top of the fifth.
Herndon singled to open the inning and stole second. The Greenbrier West catcher then swiped third and scored on a throwing error, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
“After we got through that (second inning), we settled down and played pretty good,” Hinkle said. “We knew we had to put the ball in play. We didn’t do that very good, but we did that better than last year. When we put the ball in play, we knew we could run because we have a lot of speed and are fast as a team. We knew we could create a little bit of havoc.”
Beckley however, answered quickly in the bottom of the inning to halt the West momentum.
Sarah Hopkins started the at-bat for Beckley with a single before Shailee Sexton moved her to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Natalie Meade then ripped a hard shot through the infield for a single that evaded the center-fielder. When the ball finally reached the infield, Meade was on third base and the Beckley lead was 4-1.
The Flying Eagles (8-3) added one more in the inning when Meade scored on a fielder’s choice.
“We have done that a few times this year and that is what you want to do. When somebody scores on you, you want to come back and get that run,” Bird said. “If you can get two (runs), that is a bonus. With it 3-1, they are back in the game. You put up two, it’s 5-1 with Aubrey on the mound and that is a lot to overcome.”
West (10-4) added one in the seventh when Kyndall Taylor’s ground ball scored Brooklyn Adkins, but Smallwood ended all hope of a comeback with her final strikeout of the game.
“I think definitely having those five days off for spring break really helped,” Smallwood said. “I was pretty sore from last week and the rest helped me come back stronger.”
Smallwood looked like her old self Monday after an early season scare where she slipped on a muddy field against George Washington.
“It was definitely scary. I thought my season was done with an ACL (tear), but I have been (receiving) some chiropractic care,” Smallwood said. “They have been doing some tens unit (muscle stimulation) and shock-wave therapy. I think that has really helped me.”
