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Bearcats fall one run short in title game
It was a familiar yet painful postgame conversation for Virginia High softball coach Barry Reed.
After charging to the Group A, Division 2 state title game, Reed’s Bearcats dropped a 2-1 decision to the James River Knights Saturday morning at Radford University.
As the Knights celebrated, Reed gathered his heartbroken players under the scoreboard to offer a mix of consolation and inspiration.
“Our basic goal every season is to overachieve, and I think this group met that goal,” Reed said. “We were probably the third best team in the Clinch Mountain District at the start of the season, but we came a long way to get here.’’
The Bearcats relied on steady defense and the dominant pitching of sophomore Megan Thompson en route to the final. Offense was the issue for VHS all season, as just four players hit over .260.
Thompson allowed just five hits Saturday, but the Bearcats never found an answer to the deceptive riseball of James River sophomore pitcher Jessica Simmons.
“We don’t see that type much in Southwest Virginia,” Reed said. “It usually takes days to prepare for a riseball like that, and we couldn’t prepare in 24 hours.”
Thompson and Simmons actually played on the same travel ball team last year. And both have refined their skills under pitching guru Denny Tincher, the father of former Virginia Tech All-American Angela Tincher.
Simmons struck out seven en route to a four-hitter.
“I knew what was coming,” Thompson said. “Jessica has a lot of great pitches and she’s just a good pitcher all-around.”
James River, which cruised into the title game with a 13-1 semifinal win over Nandua, took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a home run to center field by senior Taylor Statome.
“It was a low fastball, which is my favorite pitch to hit,” said Statome, who is considering playing softball at Radford “I’m usually really anxious, but I wanted to make [Thompson] work. [Thompson] is great, but I got my pitch.”
Thompson had no regrets about her location on the home run pitch.
“I hit my spot, but I guess it was her spot too and she got around on it,” Thompson said. “I pretty much knew about all their hitters, and I just wanted to switch things up.”
The Knights manufactured another run in the top of the sixth inning with a walk, single and fielder’s choice grounder.
VHS scored its lone run in the sixth. Senior Taylor McReynolds reached on a line single, and then moved to second on a throwing error. Senior Nikki Nelms followed with a run-scoring single.
The Bearcats were denied a run in the second inning when the James River right fielder made an over-the-shoulder catch of a line drive from freshman Tianna Macias.
“That play changed the game,” Reed said.
Juniors Hannah Smith and MacKenzie Murray also singled for VHS, but the James River infield converted several tough chances.
“James River made the plays it had to make in order to win a state championship,” Reed said. “There were at least three outstanding plays by James River, including two which cost us runs.”
It was the final game for James River coach John Shotwell, who earned his fourth state title.
“I don’t believe it could have been any sweeter. It’s like we had scripted everything out,” said the 73-year-old Shotwell referring to his retirement. “Knowing this was my last year and realizing what we had coming back, I told the players on the first day of practice that we were going to win state. If you don’t have high hopes, you will never get there.”
Meanwhile, the script for VHS was full of frustration. Nelms, one of just three VHS senior starters, summed up the feelings of the Bearcats.
“It’s been a fun run the past four years but coming close and not winning really hurts,” Nelms said. “Even when we hit the ball hard today, James River made the plays. [Simmons] had a really good riseball. We just kept swinging at it, so she kept throwing it.”
Immediately after the game, Thompson and her family headed to Virginia Beach for another travel ball tournament with the Virginia Renegades.
“I can never get enough softball,” Thompson said. “I’m ready for next season already and my teammates are committed. Now that the rules have changed and teams can practice more, everyone wants to get started. We want to get back to this point.
“Nobody expected us to make it this far at the start of the season, but we did some good things and we want more.”
All three losses for James River came against Pioneer District rival and Division 1 champion Bath County.
Notes from the news, June 21
Happy last day of school, students!
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