Gallery by Heather Belcher
Ava Mullins did not go on vacation over spring break.
Instead, the Woodrow Wilson senior spent the week hitting, and hitting, and hitting some more.
The hard work paid big dividends for the Flying Eagles Monday night in their win or go home Class AAA Region 3, Section 2 clash with longtime rival Greenbrier East.
The senior slugger had the two big blows that scored both Woodrow Wilson runs in a 2-1 come-from-behind thriller over the Spartans.
The win for the Flying Eagles forces a winner-take-all championship tilt Tuesday back in Beckley at 6:30 p.m.
“They have had that grit all year. I knew if we could hit and they could fall, because they didn’t fall the other night, I knew we would be in the game,” Woodrow Wilson head coach Pam Davis said. “I wasn’t sure how our mindset would be going into this game, knowing it could be the last one. It could have gone either way and I am really happy it went our way tonight.”
Mullins’ first big blow came in the bottom of the fifth with her team down 1-0.
Woodrow Wilson pitcher Aubrey Smallwood smacked a two-out single before being lifted for Mya Wooton who came on as a courtesy runner.
The speedy soccer extraordinaire promptly stole second base to move into scoring position.
“I had just struckout right before that. Going up to the plate, I was thinking I had to do something there,” Mullins said. “In that situation I was thinking line drives and gaps or up the middle. I was excited about that one and it built my confidence back up.”
Mullins found the gap for a solid double to score Wooton and tie the game.
In the seventh inning when Mullins stepped back in the box, the game was on the line and ironically, it was Wooton standing on third looking to score the game winner.
Wooton had opened the inning as a pinch hitter and drilled a single up the middle to get Woodrow started. A one-out single by Smallwood sent Wooton to third and set the table for Mullins.
With the big hitting Kayla Bird waiting in the on-deck circle, East chose to take their chances with Mullins at the dish.
“I really was just trying to hit it hard. I had been hitting it to the right side all day. I knew if I hit it to the right side that Mya was quick and she would score that run,” Mullins said.
Making solid contact, Mullins drove a fly ball towards right-center that appeared would easily score Wooton.
In the haste to catch the ball and make a strong throw, the fly ball was misplayed and Wooton scored easily for the walk-off, 2-1 win.
“We might not have played over spring break, but we practiced over spring break. We practiced every day except one or two. It was hitting mostly and Ava has been really on since that time,” Davis said.
Greenbrier East entered the game in the driver’s seat after beating Woodrow 4-0 last Wednesday in the double elimination format.
The Spartans turned to small ball Monday to apply pressure early on the Flying Eagles.
A lead-off walk and a bunt single put East in business to open the third inning. Another bunt attempt nearly loaded the bases, but a solid defensive play from Brooklyn Bird cut down the runner at third base.
East kept the pressure on the home team with its second bunt-single of the inning to load the bases with one out.
After surviving a foul ball out that fell harmlessly, Rylee Norman hit the first ball out of the infield all night for East. Norman’s fly ball scored the first run of the game for a 1-0 lead.
The visitors had a golden opportunity to apply more pressure in the fifth inning when Haley Irvin reached for the second time on a bunt single.
An errant throw to first base on Aubrey Glover’s bunt attempt gave East runners at second and third with just one out.
A strikeout by Smallwood and nice play on a fly ball in left by Jayden Shrewsbury kept the Spartans off the board.
“We played some good defense again. We got some bunts down and made them field the ball a little bit. We still didn’t do a good enough job at the plate with runners on (base). Too many strikeouts and we didn’t put the ball in play enough,” Greenbrier East head coach Aaron Ambler said. “We had runners in scoring position with a good part of our lineup. We had hitters that we wanted to be up at the plate, but we couldn’t come through with the hit.”
Now the two teams battle Tuesday for the sectional championship and a berth in the regionals.
“It was a solid team effort. The pressure was all on us tonight, but now we have put some of the pressure back on them,” Davis said. “We just have to go in focused and confident, but not over confident. There is a fine line there. I think the first day we may have been over confident.”
