10-run sixth inning propels Hampton past Happy Valley
Published 3:54 pm Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Happy Valley’s Chloe Cochran (14) beats out the throw from Lady Bulldog pitcher Briley Davis (17) for an infield single in the top of the second inning.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Lady Bulldog first baseman Emma Hughes (14) slaps down a late tag on a snap throw from catcher Mallory Lamb as Happy Valley’s Chloe Cochran (14) just barely gets back to the bag in the top of the first inning.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Lady Bulldog catcher Mallory Lamb (16) holds the tag on Chloe Cochran (14) as both await the eventual out call from the umpire for the second out of the top of the second inning.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Happy Valley starting pitcher Trinity Bowers (16) fires a warmup pitch before the start of the bottom of the second inning at Hampton on Tuesday afternoon.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Lady Bulldog Hannah Smith (24) becomes the second batter of the inning to hit a roller back to the circle for the second out of the bottom of the second inning.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Lady Bulldog senior starting pitcher Briley Davis (17) delivers a warmup pitch prior to facing Happy Valley in the top of the third inning.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Lady Warriors’ Alex Moore (24) turns on a pitch, driving an RBI single back up the middle in the top of the third inning.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Happy Valley’s Maliyah Green (2) puts the squeeze on an infield pop-up by Lady Bulldog Emma Hughes (14) just behind the circle for the first out of the bottom of the third inning.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Lady Bulldog courtesy runner Mattie Holtsclaw (13) slides in safely, well ahead of the throw, on an RBI single off Briley Davis’ (17) bat in the bottom of the third inning.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Lady Bulldogs’ Hadley Vines (21) slides into the tag at the plate by Happy Valley catcher Addy Holt (22) as she tries to score from second on a hit by Lauren Smith for the final out of the bottom of the third inning.
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Star Correspondent
HAMPTON — The way Tuesday’s softball game between Happy Valley and Hampton started, one knew that something was going to have to give for one of the teams to walk away a winner.
Fortunately for the Lady Bulldogs, that came by way of an explosion of the bats in the bottom of the sixth inning, resulting in 10 runs crossing the plate on 10 hits to break a 7-7 deadlock and allowing the home team to collect a 17-7 win.
Runs started finding their way to the scoreboard early in the contest, as both teams scored two apiece in the first inning.
Happy Valley’s Trinity Bowers led the game off with a single, followed by teammate Natalie Cline, who also collected a single to put runners on the bags for the Lady Warriors.
With one out, Alex Moore reached on an error, collecting Bowers for the game’s first run. An RBI double by Addy Holt scored Cline as the Lady Warriors seized the quick 2-0 lead.
Hampton evened the scoring column in the bottom of the first as Hannah Smith led things off with a walk and stole second base. Maleah Scalf tagged an RBI single to narrow the lead to 2-1.
Scalf scored when, on stealing third base, an errant throw from catcher Holt allowed Scalf to pick herself up and scamper home to tie the game at 2-2.
Neither team dented the scoreboard in the second frame, although Happy Valley had a great opportunity but failed, as Hampton’s center fielder Scalf fired a shot to catcher Mallory Lamb to gun down Chloe Cochran at the plate, attempting to score on a single by Bowers.
In the third, both teams had replays of the first inning as each hung two runs apiece on the board.
The Lady Warriors received a leadoff double off the bat of Miley Miller to get things rolling in the top of the frame. Moore picked up Miller with an RBI single and was erased on a fielder’s choice from Holt.
Holt scored on a double by Maliyah Green and a throwing error by third baseman Hadley Vines to make it a 4-2 game going to the bottom of the inning.
Hampton wasted little time responding, as with one out, Lamb uncorked a triple. Briley Davis scored Lamb on an RBI single and would score herself on a double by Vines as the game stood 4-4 at the end of three innings of play.
After holding the Lady Warriors scoreless in the top of the fourth, Hampton put together a three-run rally to take a 7-4 advantage.
Dru Nichols doubled to get things going. Lillian Andrews worked a walk, and Smith scored Nichols’ pinch runner on a single. A sacrifice fly by Emma Birchfield plated Andrews to make it 6-4. The final run came when Lamb hit into a fielder’s choice to score Smith, running the score to 7-4.
The Lady Warriors were able to get one run back in the top of the fifth inning when leadoff batter Green singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. Bowers’ two-out single brought Green home to make it a two-run game at 7-5.
A strong defensive outing in the bottom of the inning allowed Happy Valley to return to the dish to try and narrow the gap.
Miller led off with a single, and a double from Moore put runners at second and third with no one out. After a lineout by Holt, Green stepped to the plate and smacked a two-run double to knot the game at 7-7.
Unfortunately, that would be the last chance the Lady Warriors would have to swing the bat in the contest, as Hampton sent 13 batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning.
Andrews collected two hits in the inning, as did Smith. Scalf, Lamb, Vines, Lauren Smith and Nichols added singles in the frame, while Birchfield slapped a double.
Hannah Smith scored the winning run on a wild pitch to end the contest, with Hampton taking the 17-7 victory.
