Smith leads Bluefield to win over Wyoming East

bluefield — Izzy Smith smacked two home runs in a decisive fourth inning and struck out nine Wyoming East batters from the circle to lead the Bluefield Beavers to their second straight sectional championship, beating the Warriors 12-2 on Thursday.

The Bluefield defense retired 10 of the last 11 Wyoming East batters, after the Warriors parlayed two singles and two hit batters into an early 2-1 lead in the Class AA, Region 3, Section 1 finale.

Smith said, “Tonight, I wasn’t on my ‘A’ game in the start, but then I brought it back together. My team, they picked me up, they got my back.”

The game’s first batter, Kaydee Shrewsbury of the Warriors (6-13), was plunked by a Smith pitch and advanced to third on a pair of errors. She came home on a wild pitch.

Bluefield’s Abigail Richardson responded with a leadoff triple and tied the game 1-1 on an infield out against Wyoming East sophomore pitcher Carli Raye.

On an eight-pitch at-bat in the second inning, Raye drew a bases-loaded walk to score freshman Olivia Vint and re-take the lead 2-1.

“That was a tough spot,” said Bluefield head coach Justin Hall. “Anything can happen. Anything can turn an inning, quick. So, they’ve got to stay engaged.”

The Warriors’ defense squelched five straight Bluefield batters soon after that, but the Beavers (15-5) broke it open in the fourth frame with 11 runs.

Smith said, “We were just really anxious in the box. And I really think, after we saw her (Raye), we saw her speed, we saw what she had, we just made a big adjustment in the box.”

Hall said, “Early in the tournament, we didn’t see the velocity we saw tonight. And as coaches, we kind of anticipated that, coming into tonight, it might take us once through the lineup to get used to getting that foot down earlier and going.

“And thank goodness, it did. Everybody got going.”

Maddy Lawson’s two-RBI triple down the right-field line gave Bluefield its first lead. Smith followed with the first of her two home runs over the fence in left center, each of which brought in two more runs.

“I really just wasn’t looking for anything. Just making contact,” Smith said. “I was just trying to put the ball in play, and do my job. And it happened.”

Hall said, “I don’t know that I’ve ever coached a game where the same player has hit two home runs in the very same inning. That was special. … She rose to the occasion — the whole lineup did. It was important, and, man, it kept that energy going.”

Grace Richardson also plated a pair of runs, going 2-for-2 in the fourth, and Kaylee McKinney celebrated her birthday with a two-out RBI single.

Hall said, “In a tournament setting like this, in the postseason, if you’re not locked in, you stand the risk of getting run over. … This is a group that’s always risen to the occasion. And it was no different tonight.”

Smith said, “It’s a great feeling. You know, we’ve battled with them in the past. And now … it feels amazing.”

Wyoming East head coach Robert “Doc” Warner, asked how his team got as far as the sectional title game, simply said, “a miracle.”

With the exception of senior left fielder Cady Clay, Warner said, “my whole team is freshmen and sophomores.”

“They got better, and they played the best game they played all year against Westside.”

Hall said Bluefield’s fan turnout this spring has been “amazing for the kids.”

“We started a tradition this year. After the (postgame) huddle,after we depart from the outfield, they go over and thank everyone for coming. I’ve seen it all over Facebook this year … and the community is showing up, and they’re getting behind these kids. And I hope it continues.”

Bluefield will have a 10-day wait until they host the first game of the best-of-three regional tournament on May 13.

Smith said the team will be “working really hard” during their hiatus. She was grateful that there was no need for a second game today to decide the sectional in the double-elimination format.

“It was really important for us to get this today, because, really, rest is crucial,” Smith said. “It’s nice to have that extra day.”