SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Trailing 5-3 with nobody on base and four outs to play with, Keyser rallied to remain in the winner’s bracket Tuesday.
Sophie Lambka doubled in the go-ahead run after Leighton Johnson’s two-RBI single tied it during a five-run sixth inning, allowing fifth-seeded Keyser to rally for an 8-5 win over No. 4 seed Point Pleasant at the Class AAA state tournament at Little Creek Park.
Keyser (24-6) started the top of the sixth with a pop out and groundout. After run-scoring hits by Lambka and Johnson, Brielle Root added two insurance tallies on a single.
Seven consecutive Golden Tornado hitters reached base with two outs.
Johnson, who pitched a complete game in the circle, retired six of the final seven Point Pleasant (25-9) batters to slam the door and keep Keyser in the winner’s bracket.
Johnson grabbed the win, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts to one walk in seven innings of work.
Keyser led 3-1 after a three-run fourth inning, which began with a Bibs Felton leadoff homer. Tavery Lyons and Kailynn Burns added RBIs later in the inning.
Point Pleasant took the lead with a four-run fifth, setting the stage for Keyser’s rally a half-frame later.
Felton added a triple to her big fly, and Root and Burns also had multi-hit games. One of Burns’ knocks was a double.
Point Pleasant’s Bralee Roush went 2 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, and Brynn Roush singled twice and drove in a run.
Rylan MacKnight took the loss in a complete game, allowing eight runs on 10 hits in seven innings. She struck out three and walked two.
Keyser faces top-seeded John Marshall (26-5), which routed Robert C. Byrd, 14-0, in the first round, on Wednesday at 9 a.m.
The loser plays in the fourth game Wednesday, and the winner plays in the fifth game at approximately 6:30 p.m.