By Bill Nestor
Timing is crucial in sports. The old saying “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish” really comes home to roost in the world of sports. The Lincoln High School softball team is a prime example. After sputtering to a seven and nine start, the Cougars have picked up the pace and put the pressure on the other teams in their section.
At the end of last week. Lincoln had won five straight contests and seven of their last nine games. The Cougars had also won the first two games of the sectionals (which we will take an in-depth look at later in this article) over a pair of highly seeded opponents.
What was the key to the turnaround? At the forefront was the steady hand of veteran mentor Yancey Weaver. Weaver has been around the game for a long time and he knew there was no need to push the panic button. Weaver had a very talented roster heading into the campaign that just needed some time to develop. Once his squad had the opportunity to gel, the wins started to mount up.
It was a snowball effect for the Cougars. The better they played, the more they won, and as the wins piled up, the confidence started to build.
The turning point to the season came on April 20th. Lincoln had lost the night before to Wheeling Park and suffered a pair of setbacks to Washington High School and Petersburg High School by a total score of 27 to two. It was the worst day of the year for Weaver and his team. It led to the only three game losing streak of the campaign and it was a gut check for the group.
Weaver had to wonder how his team would respond. They could throw in the towel and start preparing for next year, or they could reach deep and look for the pride that the program has been known for since Weaver has been in charge.
After a day off to recharge the batteries, Lincoln defeated Grafton 12 to two and Liberty 17 to one with a pair of losses to go two and two in the four game stretch. The Cougars have not lost since then, outsourcing opponents 65 to 17 in the process. North Marion, Bridgeport, and East fairmont fell victim to Weaver and company to close out the regular season, giving momentum to the underdog team from Shinnston.
The Cougars entered sectional play ranked number three behind Phillip Barbour and Robert C. Byrd, which meant that Lincoln would be on the road to start second season play. Last Tuesday, a trip to Clarksburg led to a lock-up with Robert C. Byrd. It would provide a rubber match as both teams had garnered a win in the regular season series. The Cougars nabbed a second consecutive win over the Flying Eagles, eight to three.
Riley Pearlman led the attack, going three of four with a pair of home runs and a double. Alexis Williams earned the win and also had a pair of hits in the affair. Haleigh Gump and Angelina Wright chipped in with a pair of hits in the triumph.
The next night, Lincoln was back on the road, making a trip to Phillippi for a lock-up with the Colts. P. B. had only played 20 regular season games and the two programs met just once during the regular season, in which the Colts took a 16 to six win. P. B. took a nine game win streak and an 18 and two record into Wednesday’s clash. When the dust settled, Lincoln claimed a 15 to seven victory. It was the most runs given up by the Colts all season.
Adriana Elder earned the win while going three of four from the dish, including a three run hime run. Williams was three for three with a home run and four runs batted in. Pearlman had two hits and three RBIs while Wright added a solo home run in the win. The Cougars are proof positive that hard work does pay off.
Stay tuned for the next chapter! That will do it for now. Until next week . . . take care and God bless!