Tuesday, the West Liberty Thoman’s IGA 12U softball team opened tournament play with a tough 8–4 loss to DeGraff in a hard-fought battle.
Delaney Morris put in a standout performance for the Tigers, striking out 10 and going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs.
West Liberty’s offense stayed active throughout the night with base hits from Chloe Staten, Harper Patton, Paisley Strapp, Quinn Moore, and Siri Monroe.
The Tigers made a push in the final inning, loading the bases, but couldn’t come up with the big hit needed to turn the game around.
The team had little time to dwell on the loss, heading straight into the loser’s bracket to face Zanesfield 2—and they came back strong.
The Tigers grabbed a 9–5 win behind big bats and clutch defense.
Strapp got things started with a solo home run in the first, and Zoey Richardson followed with homers in both the third and fifth innings.
Monroe made a highlight-reel catch in left field and went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Ava Prater chipped in with an infield single, and Hannah Thoman drove in a run.
Morris remained solid in the circle, striking out seven and adding a base hit to help secure the victory.
West Liberty now holds an 8–2 record and returns to action Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Blue Jacket Park.
