JON JOHNSON
jjohnson@dothaneagle.com
 
Wallace coach David Dews pushed the right button and Hannah Buchan delivered the game-winning hit to help the Lady Govs sweep Bevill State in the conference openers for both teams Thursday.

With runners on second and third with nobody out after Wallace had pulled within 5-4 on an RBI single by Elly Castle, Dews brought Buchan to the plate as a pinch hitter.

The former Lakeside standout fell behind in the count 0-2 before getting hold of a pitch and driving it to deep left center field for a hit to bring in the winning runs for a 6-5 victory. The Lady Govs won the opener 5-2.

Buchan was asked what she was thinking at the plate with the count 0-2.

"To be honest with you, whenever I'm up to bat I hear instrumental music, so I don't have to hear anything else," Buchan explained in drowning out any distractions. "It was just something like violins – just something to get my mind off everything.
"I don't even know what happened … I just threw my bat out there."

Dews was hoping for at least a sacrifice fly to tie the game but got much more.

"I kind of knew what the tendencies were with one of my hitters and I felt like if we could get in the right situation – maybe get a long fly ball instead of a ground ball – I felt like we could get something up and pick up the sac fly right there and the ball just fell in the gap," Dews said.

Wallace took the early lead in the game when Castle hit a solo homer that just cleared the center field fence in the bottom of the first.

Bevill responded with two runs in the second and a single run in the third to lead 3-1.

Wallace pulled within 3-2 in the bottom of the third when Castle singled up the middle to bring in Libby Buchanan, who had singled, stole second and advanced to third on a ground out.

The Lady Govs tied it in the sixth when a fly to deep right field off the bat of Ella Brooke Barefield was caught, but the throw to third to try and get Ella  Houston, who had tagged from second, got past the third baseman allowing Houston to score.

Bevill plated two runs in the top of the seventh to regain the lead at 5-3 before the dramatic finish by the Lady Govs.

Houston went the distance to pick up the win in the circle for Wallace.

"Bevill is a real scrappy, tough team and it doesn't take anything … they just get them on base and bunch a couple of hits and they can put runs up," Dews said.

"I felt like our pitching really did well on both ends (of doubleheader). Defense for the most part did well; just a couple of spots that we kind of messed up on.

"But a lot of heart and a lot of grit. That's what our brand is all about."

In the opener, Geneva product Katlyn Conner pitched a three-hitter in the circle, giving up just a single to the second batter of the game and two more singles in the sixth inning.

Wallace got its first run in the third when Shaylei Mock scored after a pop up just beyond second by Castle dropped out of the second baseman's glove.

The Lady Govs made it 2-0 an inning later when Averi Laird singled into left field to score Erin Curry, who had doubled over the third base bag to open the inning.

Castle scored Wallace's third run in the fifth after she singled up the middle to lead off the inning, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball before coming in on a groundout off the bat of Sadie Hanks.

Beville State got both of its runs in the sixth – one due to a throwing error – before Wallace put it away with two more in the bottom of the inning when Laird, who had doubled, scored on a throwing error after Mock dropped down a bunt and later in the inning a final run came across when Rebekah Rowell singled to bring in Mock.

The two teams play again at Bevill State in a doubleheader on Saturday.