PHALSE PHOENIX — In a sunny, simulated game between a pair of talented Greene County high school softball teams, Beavercreek just had too much offensive firepower in a 13-8 win over the Cedarville Indians at Chase Field.
It may have been a sweltering mid-90 degree day outside, but the simulated comfy confines of the indoor facility in the Valley of the Sun was a cool 70 degrees as the Beavers belted 18 hits.
Beavercreek never trailed, although the Indians kept things close for most of the contest.
The Battlin’ Beavers had 10 batters go up to the plate in the third inning, scoring four runs on four hits. Paige Weekley, Maddie Neibert, Hannah Walters and Azlynn Mims each scored, off two-RBI singles from Mariah Crawford and Walters.
Cedarville responded with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. Kaylee Cyphers singled to left field to score Karie Yake and Regan Coffey, while Cyphers then scored on a Beavercreek infield error, to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Beavers.
‘Creek extended its lead with a run in the fifth (Caitlyn Newlen scored from second on Courtney Knight’s double into left center), three more runs in the sixth (Neibert, Walters and Alyssa Lewis each scored), and a Weekley score in the seventh to charge out in front, 9-3, and the host Indians were in trouble,
Cedarville tried to battle back, however, with a Sarah Sizer run off Coffey’s single into right in the seventh.
But then the Beavers enjoyed another big inning, scoring four runs in the eighth with nine batters making trips to the plate in the eighth (runs by Crawford, Knight, Lewis and Newlen) for a seemingly commanding 13-4 lead.
Cedarville never gave up.
The never-say-die Indians sent nine batters of their own to the plate in the bottom of the ninth.
Grace Jacobs had the big hit of the inning with a two-RBI single into the power alley in left center field that scored Maddie Funk and Coffey. Cyphers then came home on Lauren Whitaker’s single to left, and Jacobs scored on a single from Jade Herron. But Beavers hurler Crawford struck out the final batter to end the game.
Beavercreek climbs to 2-1 this simulated season, while Cedarville is now 0-3.
Both teams enjoyed the simulated contest, and jumped into the rightfield fan swimming pool after the game.
‘Creek’s Neibert went 4-for-4 at the plate, wasn’t phased after getting simulatedly hit by a pitch, stole a base, scored two runs and drove in another. Teammate Lewis had three hits, including a double, drove in two and scored two.
Coffey was the top Indians hitter with a 3-for-4 performance with two runs scored and an RBI.
NEXT UP: Week Four of the simulated high school baseball season gets under way starting on Tuesday night with a contest between the Xenia Buccaneers and the Beavercreek Beavers, at a stadium yet to be determined. (We take requests — ED). Other games scheduled for this simulated week will be Legacy Christian at Carroll, Cedarville at Yellow Springs, and Fairborn at Bellbrook. Greeneview has the bye this week.