With Thursday’s showdown between Adams Central and South Adams looming, the Starfires started Wednesday’s game against Carroll with Reagan Beitler in the circle, leaving Gracy Bixler and Peyton Pries for relief.
Beitler was superb across her four innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three.
South Adams scored their first run on an RBI triple by Peyton Pries, who knocked in her sister, Macy, in the first inning.
When the Starfires turned the lineup back over in the third inning, it was Bekah Patterson getting things started with a bunt single. She came all the way around to score on an error by the third baseman on a ground ball by Peyton Pries. South Adams scored three more times on hits by Sophia Schwartz and Tessa Bernard to build a 5-0 lead and it was all the Stars needed.
Beitler got out of a jam with a strikeout to end the fourth and coach O’Dell went to Bixler at pitcher.
Bixler worked through one inning but hit a pair of batters in the top of the sixth and she was pulled in favor of Pries. The Starfires committed an error on the first ball put in play after Pries came in and Carroll made it 5-4 with a bases-clearing double, but Pries got the next two outs to end the Charger rally.
Carroll put up one more rally in the final inning, starting with a double and a walk. The third batter of the inning hit a ground ball to Macy Pries at short and she got the out at first, allowing both runners to advance.
Peyton Pries locked down and got the last three batters out without allowing a run to score and the Stars won a close ballgame.
“We’ve got a young team and we have not won many of these close games,” said coach O’Dell after the win. “This is a good confidence booster for us heading into AC to win one like this.”