Softball Lady Bucs to meet Bridgeport in sectional opener

TENNERTON – Buckhannon-Upshur head softball coach Levi Bender and his Lady Buc softball team will open their Region 1, Section 2 Tournament Wednesday evening, weather permitting.

The tournament, which is double elimination, was to begin on Tuesday, but inclement weather pushed it back a day.

As the third seed in Section 2, the Lady Bucs will make the trip to Bridgeport to face the No. 2 seed Indians in a 5 p.m. battle.

The Lady Bucs will enter the tournament with a 9-9 mark after ending the season on a four-game losing streak.

Buckhannon-Upshur lost their only regular season contest to Bridgeport, dropping a 10-2 decision back on April 11 in Bridgeport.

In that contest, they managed just four hits off Bridgeport starting pitcher Chloe Pethel and were guilty of seven errors in the five-inning contest.

Bridgeport will enter the game with an 11-13 record.

“We hope our athletes take it one pitch at a time,” remarked Bender. “The weather forecast hasn’t been great, so we also have to stay focused from day to day, not get too up or down and just stay hungry.”

The B-U offense will be led by five starters who are all hitting over the .350 clip.

Alyssa Abel leads the offense with a .436 batting average followed by Taylor Spratt (.377), Kailey Hart (.365), Reagan Mason (.354) and Jansen Kimble (.352).

In the circle for the Lady Bucs, Kimble and Hart saw most of the action. Kimble posted a 5-6 mark tossing 55 innings and striking out 51 with an earned-run-average of 4.20 while Hart threw 36 2/3 innings with a 4-3 record and an earned-run-average of 4.20 as well.

In the other half of the section, University owned the No. 1 seed and will host No. 4 seed Preston Wednesday evening.

In the other half of the Region in Section 1, the No. 1 seed John Marshall will host No. 4 seed Brooke and the No. 2 seed Wheeling Park will host No. 3 Morgantown. Both of those games will take place Thursday.