First-year Bluefield softball head coach Justin Hall was curious to see how his team would play Saturday.
Returning a group that was agonizingly close to a state tournament berth last year, Saturday afternoon, the Beavers faced its stiffest in-state test so far when it traveled to Beckley.
Bluefield let it be known, they intend to be a postseason contender once again.
Riding strong performance from senior Izzy Smith, the Beavers scratched out a pair of first inning runs to take a 2-0 win over the Flying Eagles.
“This is a huge win for us. This is the first game where we have been tested here (in West Virginia),” Smith said. “We saw some really good competition at (Myrtle Beach), but here at home, this is the best we have seen so far.”
Abi Richardson singled to open the game for Bluefield and stole second base with one out. When Grace Richardson’s fly ball to right field could not be handled in the blustery wind, Abi Richardson scored for a 1-0 lead.
Grace Richardson then stole second and took third on a throw to first base on a ground out. When the return throw to third base attempting to erase Richardson got away, Grace raced home for a 2-0 lead.
It was all the Bluefield hurler needed on the day.
Smith struck out the first two Beckley batters in the bottom of the inning and appeared to be cruising early.
However, three straight walks gave the Flying Eagles a chance to do some damage, but a ground ball to shortstop Abi Richardson ended the early threat.
“First inning struggles have always been a thing for me,” Smith said. “I have gotten used to it and I just worked with it. I felt like I got stronger as the game went on today.”
Threats were minimal for Bluefield the rest of the way as the Beavers managed just one more hit over the final six frames. Beckley ace Aubrey Smallwood walked just one on the day and struck out nine over seven innings of work.
Unfortunately for the Flying Eagles, Smith had the answer for every Beckley threat.
“I worried about our hitting today. The last two games we played was against fairly slow pitching,” Beckley head coach J.R. Bird said. “I knew they had a really good pitcher. The wind got us a little bit in the first inning. Give all the credit to them, they took advantage of the opportunity.”
The first hit for the home team did not come until the fourth inning on a bunt single from Taylor Scott. Shailee Sexton singled in the fifth inning, but both hits went by the boards with Smith mowing down Flying Eagles with regularity.
“The pitch selection today was really good. Beckley is a solid team and we spun the ball a lot. Every pitch that we threw was spinning,” Hall said. “Very few fastballs and we worked the zone up and down. When you do that it is hard to hit and zone in on Izzy. She did a great job.”
Beckley’s biggest opportunity came in the sixth inning on back-to-back singles from Brooklynn Bird and Kacie Fraley with one out.
With runners on the corner, a bunt attempt by Beckley was fouled backwards towards the back-stop.
A big play from Grace Richardson knocked some wind out of Beckley’s sails.
“Grace has signed to play at West Virginia Wesleyan and is as solid a catcher that I have ever seen. She is a leader on the field behind the plate. She sees it all,” Hall said. “The pitch calling suggested that we knew a bunt was coming. A lot of times when we throw that particular pitch, we do get a pop-up. Luckily Grace is heady and quick to make a play like that.”
Katelyn Hamb was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs before another strikeout from Smith kept Beckley scoreless on the day.
A ground out, a pop up on the infield and Smith’s 14th strikeout of the game sent Bluefield home a winner.
“It is a good win battling the elements with the wind like it was today. Izzy settled in real nice and the defense settled in really good behind her. I am proud of them,” Hall said. “Izzy has been in the circle most of our innings. I am confident in her and the team is confident in her.”
