WEST POINT — Last season, Oak Hill Academy center fielder Locke Myers made the game-ending error in a run-rule loss against Lee Academy.
On Tuesday night, she stepped up with a runner on second base and the chance to walk it off against the Fillies.
All that was standing in front of her and victory was Lee’s starting pitcher Emmie Smith, who had already given up two runs in the inning as the Raiders tied the game at 6-6.
Myers wasted no time, lacing the first pitch up the middle as Ruth Andrews came around to score, giving Oak Hill a dramatic 7-6 walk-off victory at home.
“I was really just thinking of how big of a win this would be for our team,” Myers said. “It would really put us in a good position going into the playoffs, so I knew I had to come up big.”
Come up big she did in an inning that was dominated with hits for Oak Hill (10-4), three big ones coming from her, Andrews and Sara Frances Ramsay, who also held down the fort in the circle for the Raiders.
Ramsay began the seventh with a line drive single through the hole into right field, but she was forced out at second as Raylee Craven put the ball in play.
Craven was the first runner to score in the inning, getting into scoring position after a walk to Harley Vaughn. Andrews followed, driving in both with a two-run double to tie the game and bring up Myers, the game-ending hero.
“My hit got everyone pumped up since it was the first at-bat,” Ramsay said. “It just got everyone fired up and we knew we just wanted to get this district win.”
Against a team in Lee Academy that had given the Raiders fits in the past, Oak Hill improved to 4-0 in district play with the victory, and the credit Tuesday went to the offense.
Twice Oak Hill was down in this game, first an early 2-0 deficit after Olivia Smith hit a two-run home run over the fence in left center field and then a 6-4 deficit after a fourth inning that saw Ramsay lose control, walking two batters while the defense behind her committed two errors.
Against a good pitcher in Smith, the Raiders kept fighting back and stayed in this game until the end.
“We had one bad inning where we threw the ball around in the infield and let it get away from us,” Oak Hill head coach Lewis Earnest said. “Other than that, we played a pretty clean game. We were on the pitcher most of the night, but we just didn’t have our timing right. The girls finally timed her up in the last inning.”
Tuesday’s win sets up a local clash on Thursday afternoon against Starkville Academy, a team that Oak Hill defeated, 6-3, in comeback fashion in August.
This game is a make-up game, but it’s a great test for the Raiders against an opponent that gave them a tough time a month or so ago.
Oak Hill knows that the Volunteers are going to be ready and have been ready for this rematch for some time.
“I’m expecting them to come out tough and ready to win,” Ramsay said. “They’re going to be out for revenge, out for blood.”
The Raiders will be defending their home turf, and for a team that just pulled out a big win at home, home-field advantage will surely play a factor Thursday.
Other scores
Prep volleyball
Caledonia 3, Starkville 0
CALEDONIA — Caledonia volleyball defeated Starkville in straight sets on Tuesday in convincing fashion.
Set scores were 25-22, 25-17 and 25-13.
The Cavaliers (11-3) improved tremendously as the match wore on, exploiting mismatches and dominating in all facets of the game.
Caledonia will take on Itawamba Agricultural in its next match at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, and Starkville will travel to play Tupelo at 6 p.m. Thursday.
New Hope 3, Columbus 0
NEW HOPE — New Hope continued its unbeaten regular season with a straight-set victory over Columbus on Tuesday evening.
Set scores were 25-11, 25-9 and 25-7.
It was flat-out domination from New Hope, commanding the run of play from the beginning and kept Columbus from going on any significant run to get back in the match.
The Trojans will face Neshoba Central in their next match at 7 p.m. Thursday, and Columbus will travel to take on West Lowndes at 6 p.m. Thursday.
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