The Lady Vikings fought hard on Tuesday, pushing the Lady Wild Gators into an eighth inning in the battle for the Region 8-A title, but Lake View came away with a 6-5 walk-off win as Ashley Rogers scored from second base on a single from Morgan Wethington.
Latta trailed 5-3 at the end of the sixth inning, but mounted a comeback in the top of the seventh. With Allison Moody at second and Charise Braddy at first, Chelsea Welty hit a single to right field to tie the game 5-5 and send it into an extra inning.
With one out in the eighth inning, Morgan Herlong made it to base after being hit by a pitch. Latta’s pitcher, Morgan Mason, then struck out Lake View’s freshman hitter Kayce Wong before Latta’s coach made the decision to have Mason walk Chessie Miller rather than risk another homer from the Pee Dee’s home run leader. Wethington was next up with a single that allowed pinch-runner Rogers to make it home for the win.
“Our softball game was a war with Lake View,” said Latta’s Coach Michael Rogers. “My kids played hard and never quit fighting to the last out. Games like that get us prepared for the playoffs.”
Lake View’s Coach Huggins had similar thoughts. “It was a great game, the atmosphere was just like a playoff game,” he said. “Hopefully all of these tight games we have been playing will pay off down the road in the playoffs.”
The win marks the first time in Coach Huggins’ nine seasons that Lake View has finished with a perfect region record at 10-0.
Lake View’s Avonlea Cooke was the winning pitcher, pitching a complete game with only three earned runs and 11 hits, striking out eight.
Latta’s Morgan Mason also pitched the complete game for two walks and two earned runs, striking out three.
Avonlea Cooke was Lake View’s lead hitter with three doubles and an RBI. Morgan Wethington finished with two hits and a run scored, and Chessie Miller added another home run to her record.
Latta’s leading hitters were Charise Braddy, 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI; Allison Moody, 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored; Raven Baxley, 2-or-4; Chelsea Welty, 1-for-4 with three RBIs; and Paige Lovett, 1-for-4 with one run scored. Also hitting for Latta, Dallas Sweat and Anna Benton Love were each 1-for-4.
Lake View finishes the season with a 19-2 overall record and an undefeated 10-0 record in Region 8-A to clinch the region title. Latta finishes as Region 8-A runner-ups with a 13-3 overall record and an 8-2 record in Region 8-A. Johnsonville and Green Sea-Floyds finish in third and fourth respectively.
The Lady Vikings were scheduled to play a double header against Marlboro County on Wednesday to wrap up their regular season. Lake View has two more games scheduled, starting with a non-region game against South Robeson tonight at 6:15 p.m., followed by a non-region game against Cheraw on Monday, April 25.
Playoffs begin on Thursday, April 28, with Lake View playing host to the fourth place team in Region 7-A in District VIII, while Latta will host Lamar at 5:30 p.m. in the District V opener. Look for more playoff information in next week’s issues of THE DILLON HERALD!
