On Monday and Tuesday, Greenbrier West’s softball team played Fayetteville in regional play, dropping two close games to close their season. The first game, played in Fayetteville, ended 7-5.

Makayla Adkins and Meredith Lauderdale scored in the top of the first inning, and Katlyn Gray and Brittany Bevins were left on third and second. Fayetteville left a runner on third, their three outs coming from a throw to first, a line drive to the pitcher, and a strikeout.

In the second, West left Meredith Posten on third, their three outs coming from a sacrifice, a throw to first, and a popup to second. Fayetteville responded with four runs to take a 4-2 lead. In the third, West scored Bevins, Rachel Adkins and Amanda Church to retake the lead, 5-4. In the bottom of the inning, Fayetteville scored one run, using a couple of errors to advance the runners. That tied the score at five.

In the fourth, West left Katlyn Gray at third and Brittany Bevins at first, scoring no runs. Fayetteville then scored one run to take the lead 6-5. In the fifth, West had two batters strike out and one thrown out, leaving Makayla Adkins on third and Amanda Church on second. Fayetteville then had two strikeouts and a throw out at second to end the inning.

In the sixth inning, Fayetteville pulled a double play, then let two West batters, Rachel Adkins and Kenley Posten, get on base, before striking out the third out. Fayetteville had a fly ball for an out, then a couple of singles, then a sacrifice fly to score one, then a strikeout, to end the inning and the game. In four of her five at-bats, Katlyn Gray got on base, three times getting as far as third base.

In game two, played in Rupert Tuesday night, West lost, 4-1. Fayetteville scored one run in the first inning, and three in the third, for their total. West’s lone score was a home run by Posten in the sixth, a shot over the center field fence. The first five innings saw productive at-bats, as West had runners on the bases regularly. A runner at first in the first, first and third in the second, at first in the third, at second and third in the fourth, and at first in the fifth. West made contact with the ball; there were only two West batters struck out in the whole game. Lauderdale batted .750, getting on base three of her four at-bats. Gray, Rachel Adkins, and Kenley Posten all batted .500, each batter going two for four.

In the seventh inning, making one last attempt, after a fly out, the next runner was thrown out between second and third. Lauderdale and Gray were left on base, as the final out came on a line drive to third base. Fayetteville celebrated its advance to states. West looked back on a solid year, and a number of returning starters to build another good year in 2018.