Louisa rallies past Eastern View

MINERAL — Louisa County’s softball team, playing in its first game under the lights, used a six-run sixth inning en route to a thrilling comeback over Eastern View in the annual Border War Classic on Friday night.
The Lions then rode the arm of senior pitcher Meagan Lesser to the 11-10 season-opening victory. Lesser recorded two of her 17 strikeouts in the seventh as the Cyclones went 1-2-3 to end the game played in chilly temperatures.
Louisa trailed by as many as seven runs and five entering the sixth inning. Louisa coach Susan Sharpe couldn’t have been more proud of her team’s resiliency and knows it will give them confidence.
“I was pleased that they could come back like that,“ Sharpe said. “It was good to see they had that kind of fight in them. This will be something they can reflect back on. ‘You know, we were down seven, we can do this.‘“
The top of the Cyclones’ batting order did the most damage, as the potent lineup of Brittany McCauley, Anna Klumpp and Samantha May combined for eight hits and nine runs.
The Lions had chances to score throughout, with runners in scoring position in every inning. However, Louisa got a flurry of scoring in the third and sixth innings.
The Lions had timely hits up and down the order and used aggressive baserunning to come away with the win.
Down 10-5 in the sixth, Cadie Castle belted a double to lead off the inning, then Maria Seay followed with an RBI single. Ashley Cassey walked and Hali Goad also reached base on an error. Then leadoff hitter Lyndsey Epling drew a walk, allowing one run to score before Jessica Agee followed with a bases-clearing hit. Agee, who went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI, reached third after several fielding errors by the Cyclones. Lesser’s RBI single to center field completed the rally.
“They hit the ball at the right time,“ Louisa assistant coach Canaan Perkins said. “We left 14 runners on base tonight and every inning we had a runner on, and every inning except for one we had a runner at third. There were chances for us to score and win throughout the game that we didn’t pick up on. We caught hot in the third and we did it again in the sixth.“
Louisa plays Fort Defiance, a winner over Courtland on Friday, today in the championship game at 3 p.m.