Price’s perfect day follows Charger title

Posted: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 12:00 pm

What would be a better way to gear up for the second half of the season than to win a weekend tournament?
Being perfect
Following up on a weekend where Westview won the War of the Dawg Pound at Milan, Meagan Price tossed a perfct game as the Lady Chargers blanked Haywood 8-0 Monday afternoon in Martin.
Price, a University of Kentucky signee, put down all 21 batters she faced, striking out 17 in yet another dominant effort.
At Milan, the Lady Chargers had to win five games on Saturday, including a 3-0 verdict over Chester County in the championship game. Westview had to face Chester County twice on Saturday, beating the Lady Eagles 2-1 earlier in the day.
“Winning five games in one day, including two against Chester County, is a great accomplishment,” Lady Chargers’ head coach Jessica Hightower said.
Prince pitched in three games, earning a win in each one, including the championship game, to help put the Lady Chargers season record at 15-3-1. Becca Ussery picked up the other two wins for Westview.
“I was very pleased with the pitching and catching staff,” Hightower said. “Erin Bell was behind the plate getting some reps in against quality teams, and Brooke Morrow was behind the plate for three games after taking some hard foul balls.
“Meagan and the other seniors have taken a very active role in leading the team. Having a composed pitcher sends a message to the younger players of confidence and focus that they need to see. She also does her part in the offense to help generate runs to take the pressure off the defense.”
Beating Chester County also gave Westview some redemption from two years ago when the Lady Eagles eliminated the Lady Chargers from the regional tournament.
“The first game against Chester County was a pool game, but the girls still wanted payback for the defeat in regionals two years ago,” Hightower said. “I think that gave them the extra motivation to secure the win in that game.”
WV 8, Haywood 0
Price needed just 84 pitches to put away Haywood, 60 of those going as strikes. She got ahead in the count with a first-pitch strike 14 times annd induced three ground-outs and one fly-out.
Alex Hughey and Kayla Bryant were 3-for-4, Hughey scoring twice and Bryant ripping a double, to lead the Charger offense.
Price, Kayla Guthrie and Hailey Coleman all had two hits for Westview.
Shelby Guthrie doubled and drove in three runs.
WV 3, Chester Co. 0
Alex Hughey’s single to drive in Kayla Guthrie in the first inning was all Prince needed as the Westview hurler struck out 12 batters in four innings for the championship win.
Hughey also drove in two runs in the third inning to give her three RBIs on a 2-for-2 game.
Guthrie went 2-for-2 and scored twice. Kayla Bryan also went 2-for-2, while Prince got one hit in two at bats.
WV 3, Lexington 1
The Lady Chargers scored three in the second inning for their fourth win of the day.
Alex Crosser tripled down the right field line to score Bryant for the tying run and Crossed scored the go-ahead run on a Lexington throwing error that also allowed Meagan Morrow to score.
Hailey Coleman later reached on a walk and scored the third run from third base after Prince Prince reached on an error.
Prince got the win with four innings pitched. She replaced Becca Ussery after she pitched the first inning.
Ussery gave up one run on a pair of hits and struck out one. Prince held the Lady Tiger scoreless on two hits and had 10 strikeouts.
WV 7, Milan 4
The Lady Chargers scored six in the second inning and held off the host Lady Bulldogs with Joy Hazlewood, Erin Bell and Bryant driving in two runs each.
Bell drove in Crosser and Morrow for the first two runs, followed by Hazlewood’s two-run single. Bryant lined a double to centerfield that scored Guthrie and Hazlewood.
Kayla Guthrie knocked in Shelby Guthrie with an infield single to make it a 7-2 ball game in the bottom of the fourth. Milan tacked on a pair of runs in the fifth to make it 7-4.
Ussery got the win, giving up four runs on five hits. Kayla Guthrie went 2-for-3 with a run scored and one RBI.
Bell went 2-for-2 at the plate, and Kaitlyn Harrelson scored one run after reaching on a walk. Shelby Guthrie scored twice as a courtesy runner.
WV 2, Chester Co. 1
Prince did not let three Westview errors distract her from the business at hand she only allowed one run on one hit while striking out five in four innings.
A first inning error by Hughey at third base was the only damage the Lady Eagles could do against the Lady Chargers.
Shelby Guthrie scored in the bottom of the first on Chester County’s third baseman’s fielding error to tie the score at 1-1. Bryant drove in Hughey from second base with a single in the bottom of the third for the winning run.
Prince, Bryant, Hughey and Crosser got the only hits for Westview.
WV 4, Haywood 3
The Lady Chargers had to come back from being down by three with a pair of runs in the third and two more in fourth.
Westview only got two hits in the game, but took advantage of some Haywood errors to come out with the win.
Morrow scored Westview’s first run on a fielding error by the second baseman and Harrelson scored on a passed ball for the Lady Chargers second run of the game to make it 3-2 in the third.
Coleman drove in Bryant with a double tie the game in the top of the fourth and later scored what would be the winning run on another Haywood fielding error.
Ussery got the tough win while allowing the three runs on five hits, one walk and four strikeouts.
WV 1, Hardin Co. 1
The Lady Chargers opened up the War of the Dawg Pound Tournament on Friday with a four-inning tie.
Both teams went scoreless through the first three innings with the Lady Chargers finally scoring in the top of the fourth when Kayla Guthrie drove in Crosser on a single to left field.
Hardin County scored its only run in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring groundout after a triple.
Westview only got four hits in the game with Kayla Guthrie getting two. Crosser and Coleman got the other two hits for Westview. Prince allowed three hits, one walk and struck out six batters in the pitcher’s duel.

Published in The WCP 4.9.13