Lady Vikings win opener
ELIZA EVANS / Sports Writer

"This was good for us to learn a lesson about hanging in,"? said Powell Valley head coach Paul Clendenon.

The Lady Vikings (1-0) learned their lesson the hard way, taking a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. It was there that Powell Valley pitcher Kaylla Holdway got into trouble.

Holdway walked Ashley Osborne to start the inning. Two batters later, Keisha Perrigan singled to put runners on the corners.

Courtney Compton stepped to the plate and took a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left-center for the game-tying, three-run homer for the Lady Devils (0-1).

"I thought we had it,"? said Castlewood head coach Shannon Franklin. "I thought we had it won then."?

After that, Holdway returned to the pitching form of the previous six innings.

"I realized after the home run that I had messed up,"? Holdway said. "I knew I needed to pitch better."?

And that is what she did. Holdway did not allow a base runner in the final four innings.

"After that home run, that was the best she had pitched the entire game,"? Clendenon said.

The eighth, ninth and 10th innings came and went with neither team able to get the offense going. But the Lady Vikings got a lift from an unlikely hero in the top of the 11th.

With one on and two out, sophomore Carissa Blanton "? who entered the game in the top of the seventh "? smacked an 0-2 pitch into left field to score Kelsey Long for the go-ahead run.

"I was so nervous,"? Blanton said. "It came down to me my last time at the plate with two outs and I grounded out. She threw me an outside pitch and I like outside pitches."?

The Lady Devils went down in order in the bottom of the 11th to seal the win.

Holdway went the distance for Powell Valley, giving up five runs on eight hits with 19 strikeouts and six walks.

Likewise, Morgan Trent tossed all 11 innings in the loss for Castlewood. Trent allowed six runs on 13 hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

The Lady Vikings started the game by scoring two runs in their first at-bat on an RBI-single by Chabrae Roark and a sacrifice by Marie Chandler. Powell Valley then added to its lead with one run in the fourth, sixth and seventh.

Castlewood got on the board for the first time in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI-single from Chelsea Meade and an error.

Cassie Sturgill had four hits for Powell Valley. Roark had three hits and two RBIs.

Compton had two hits, three RBIs and scored two runs for Castlewood.

Powell Valley will be on the road Thursday against Rye Cove and then will return home to face Gate City on Wednesday.

Castlewood welcomes J.I. Burton for a doubleheader on Monday.