CHARLOTTESVILLE — Coming into Wednesday’s home game, Eastern Hancock hadn’t beaten Frankton.
Not just this season. Not just recently, or in a long time.
Ever.
The Royals (10-6) came into the game on a roll though, winners of five of their previous six and three in a row. They outscored their opponents 33-2 during that three-game stretch.
Frankton (7-8) took momentum early against a team they are used to beating, but Eastern Hancock seized it back in the third inning, taking the lead and holding on for a 5-3 win.
“It’s awesome,” Eastern Hancock coach Terry Stephens said of the Royals finally besting the Eagles. “What it comes down to is Jessi Potts pitched a remarkable game. She hit her spots. She did everything we asked of her. Her pitching allowed us to win this game.”
Potts was on the mound last year, a freshman who came into the game in relief, trying to hold off Frankton. After her team tied the game in the top of the seventh inning, a walk-off solo homer gave the host Eagles yet another win against the Royals.
Not this year. Not at home. Even after falling behind early, the now-sophomore Potts and the Royals kept their composure and fought back from an early deficit.
Frankton struck first in the opening inning. After a leadoff strikeout, a grounder to third resulted in a throwing error, putting a runner on base for Aleyah Rastetter. Rastetter doubled to deep center, pushing across a run and giving the visitors the quick 1-0 lead.
After a walk to start the second inning, a groundout advanced the runner and a single put two on. A squeeze bunt from Frankton’s Audrey Cleek scored the runner from third, and two steals put runners on second and third with one out.
But Potts was able to escape the inning without further damage, her team trailing just 2-0.
The Royals’ bats came alive in the third inning. After a quick strikeout opened the frame, back-to-back-to-back singles by Megan Bever, Faithe Webster and Bailey Stephens pushed a run across. A walk loaded the bases, and Paige Wickard smacked a two-run single to give Eastern Hancock a 3-2 lead.
“We all came together when we needed to,” Potts said. “You can tell when we’re up and when we’re down. When we’re up, we’re firing on all cylinders.”
The Eagles loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth inning, but Potts was able to force Rastetter into a deep flyout to left to end the scoring threat.
Eastern Hancock extended its lead in the fourth. A walk and a wild pitch put a runner in scoring position for Webster, whose third single of the game drove in a run. Stephens followed that with a triple to push the lead to 5-2.
“We’re still not hitting as well as we could be,” Stephens said of his offense. “That’s exciting to me. We’re not at our potential yet.”
Frankton didn’t go away. After a walk to start the sixth inning, a Brooke Campbell double put runners on second and third with nobody out. An infield popup got the Royals an out, but a Maycee Mallernee bloop single plated a run. A slow infield grounder loaded the bases, bringing up Rastetter and prompting a pitching change, as junior Elise Bittinger took the mound a day after a pitching a six-inning shutout.
“You’ve got to do what’s best for the team,” Potts said of the pitching change. “Coach told me that this was their fourth time through the order, and they were catching up to my speed.”
With a full count, Bittinger struck Rastetter out, then struck out Sarah Stanley to protect the lead.
She allowed one single in the seventh inning but forced three groundouts to pick up the save and ensure Potts got the win.
“We’re barely giving up any runs,” Stephens said. “Our defense is what’s allowing us to stay in games, to win games.”
Potts pitched 5 1/3 innings, striking out three and allowing two earned runs. More importantly, she got out of jams and kept the Frankton offense contained, stranding seven runners on base.
Offensively, the Royals were led by Webster’s 3 for 4 day, with two runs and an RBI. Stephens went 2 for 3, with her big fourth-inning triple providing the winning runs.
The Royals win streak now stands at four, with the team holding a 38-5 advantage on the scoreboard during that time. They are building momentum heading into the last two weeks of the regular season.
“We’re getting close to sectionals,” Stephens said. “It’s time to turn it on. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re close.”
