WEST UNION — South Harrison’s Ava Louk scorched 15 batters to help keep the season alive Saturday morning, defeating Trinity 4-2.
After an overnight rain delay caused the game to be delayed in the bottom of the sixth inning, Louk had a long time to think about three batters.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking,” South Harrison coach Andi Koontz said. “You don’t know if you’re going to have the same personalities as you had the night before.”
Resuming the game with a two-run advantage, Louk struck out three batters to win the game with the same score.
“We did, though,” Koontz added. “We came out and finished the game just as we would have last night. I was proud of the girls.”
Her final line of 15 strikeouts gave her a complete game win. She allowed two earned runs on five hits.
“She’s an amazing little freshman,” Koontz said. “Her and Alissa Talbott are both freshmen this year that have been very, very impressive.”
During the initial innings played on Friday, South Harrison scored the first run in the bottom of the second.
Louk came up big in the bats as well as she singled on a hard ball to right field. It scored Michelle Talbott and gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
Offensively, Louk was 2 for 3 with an RBI. Hope Woods was 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run in the game. Alissa Talbott doubled.
Woods scored on a wild pitch in the third to push the lead further. After four innings, a lightning delay hit that eventually caused the game to be postponed to Saturday. South Harrison led 2-0.
“(Louk) has a little more speed than the last two pitchers we faced in the last two games, so I think that our girls weren’t necessarily ready because of what we’ve faced the last two days in our competition,” Trinity Christian coach Colony Hopkins said Friday night. “But other than that, I think our girls are, again, just coming out flat.”
Play resumed, and Trinity would respond well in the top of the sixth.
A Peyton Moore double was followed by a Hannah Titus walk. Paige Hopkins then dropped a sacrifice bunt to score Moore. Marlo Flecker then singled to left field, scoring Titus.
Louk struck out her 12th batter in the sixth.
With two outs and a tie game at hand, South Harrison bolstered its chances heading into the weekend. Kaylee Lindsey crushed an RBI triple on a ball to right field before Woods singled to score her. The game was then suspended.
After six innings, some sleep and some travel to Doddridge County, the Hawks led 4-2 heading into the top of the seventh.
Louk tossed three quick strikeouts with a walk between them to end the game.
South Harrison improved to 13-14 with the win before falling to Doddridge in the sectional championship game. Trinity’s season ended at 14-11.
BY TYLER KENNETT/WV News
