Softball Lady Bucs win fourth straight, down Fairmont Senior 8-0

Duane Carpenter
March 30, 2023

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TENNERTON – Jansen Kimble pitched a two-hit shutout and collected two extra-base hits to help lead the Buckhannon-Upshur softball Lady Bucs to an 8-0 Big 10 Conference victory over Fairmont Senior Thursday evening.

Kimble was on top her of game as she walked just two batters and struck out nine in the victory.

“It was a really nice game for Jansen and catcher Alyssa Abel behind the plate,” stated Buckhannon-Upshur head coach Levi Bender. “They did a great job keeping hitters off balance with their pitch calls, hitting spots and attacking certain hitters. They really played out the game plan. The defense backed up the battery stranding a couple runners in scoring position.”

It was the second straight shutout win for the Lady Bucs as they beat Liberty 8-0 on Tuesday.

“It’s really nice to have back-to-back shutouts,” said Bender. “I think that’s a testament to our defensive focus.”

Buckhannon-Upshur took advantage of two of Fairmont Senior’s six errors as Kimble and Abel both raced home in the bottom of the first on a pair of Polar Bear miscues.

The Lady Bucs tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third when Kimble tripled and scored on another Fairmont Senior error and Taylor Spratt reached on an error and later scored on a bases loaded walk to Reagan Mason making it a 4-0 contest.

Quinn Burnside made it a 5-0 lead for B-U when she singled to center field and scored on Katarah Lingers’ single in the bottom of the fifth.

Buckhannon-Upshur ended the game on the mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth inning with a trio of runs on the benefit of just two hits, singles from Spratt and Burnside.

Kimble and Burnside led the B-U offense with two hits apiece.

“We really didn’t have everything working offensively, but our athletes stayed the course,” concluded Bender. “We found a way to get on base and put pressure on their defense and clawed across eight runs eventually.”

Mikayla Hose and Abigail Shuck had Fairmont Senior’s two hits.

Teresa Staron suffered the loss for Fairmont Senior as she got the start and lasted three innings and allowed one earned run on three hits.

The win was the fourth in a row as the Lady Bucs improved to 4-1 on the season overall and 4-1 in the Big 10 as well.

The Lady Bucs will be back in action Saturday with a pair of home games.

They will face John Marshall at noon and Lincoln County at 4 p.m. in a two non-conference games.

The boxscore:

Fairmont Senior 000 000 – 0

Buckhannon-Upshur 202 013 – 8

E – Fairmont Senior 6, Buckhannon-Upshur 0. DP – None. LoB – Fairmont Senior 4, Buckhannon-Upshur 7. 2B – Hose, Hart, Kimble. 3B – Kimble. SB – Abel.

Hitting

Fairmont Senior – Mikayla Hose c, 3 0 1 0; Audrey Tobseman ss-3b, 2 0 0 0; Jessica Jenkins 3b-p, 2 0 0 0; Teresa Staron p-ss, 3 0 0 0; Sadie Rundle 1b, 2 0 0 0; Abigail Shuck cf, 2 0 1 0; Ava Taylor 2b, 2 0 0 0; Grace Wells lf, 2 0 0 0; Mikayla Carmines rf, 2 0 0 0. Totals 20 0 2 0.

Buckhannon-Upshur – Jansen Kimble p, 3 3 2 0; Taylor Spratt 3b, 3 2 1 0; Kailey Hart 1b, 4 0 1 1; Alyssa Abel c, 2 1 0 0 0; Quinn Burnside eh, 3 1 2 1; Reagan Mason ss, 3 0 1 2; Katarah Linger2b, 4 0 1 1; Sophie Lantz lf, 2 0 0 0; Morgan Frame ph, 1 0 0 0; Reese Curry cf, 3 0 0 0; Shaylee Hebb rf, 0 1 0 0. Totals 28 8 8 5.

Pitching

Fairmont Senior – Staron (L): 3 innings, 3 hits, 4 runs, 1 earned run, 3 walks, 0 strikeouts; Jenkins: 2 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts.

Buckhannon-Upshur – Kimble (W): 6 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts.