Madison County softball’s Bailey Smith wanted to hit.
“I walked up to her right before she went up and asked if she wanted to hit or push bunt. She said I want to hit,” said Madison coach Jesse Yowell.
Smith’s instincts were dead on. Smith uncorked a walk-off homerun to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Madison County to a 3-2 victory over Buffalo Gap in the Region 2B semifinals, clinching a state tournament berth and a shot at a region title for the Bull Run District champions.
“I knew the changeup was coming so I thought I’m going to rear back and smack it,” Smith said.
The solo shot was sweet relief for a Madison squad that always has high expectations but endured a lot of adversity this season. The Mountaineers lost standout Hannah Johnson before the season started to injury and then Bull Run District player of the year Emily Seale was out for a stretch. As soon as she returned, ECU-bound pitcher Logyn Estes got knocked out and hasn’t thrown of late, relegated largely to leadoff hitter duties.
“It’s really an incredible team, I’ve got players playing everywhere that they normally wouldn’t play,” Yowell said. “My catcher was my centerfielder, third baseman was my catcher, we moved around a lot and they stick together and they play together. They didn’t mind, knowing this is going to help the team.”
The clash with Buffalo Gap became a microcosm of that season of adversity. Gap edged ahead in the fifth and Madison answered in the sixth. After holding the Bison scoreless in the top of the sixth, Madison loaded the bases with no outs and the game appeared to be well in hand. But the Mountaineers sputtered with a strikeout, a fielder’s choice and a fly out, squandering the chance to end the game in the seventh.
Madison was undeterred by that blown opportunity and went back to work, with Kaylan Boone making a terrific catch at first base to kickstart a double play in the top of the seventh. That set the stage for Smith’s heroics in the bottom half.
“It’s amazing, she’s been working hard every practice this whole season and we needed that…we needed that,” Seale said.
Seale was brilliant herself in the circle, striking out nine in eight innings of work while allowing just four hits and two walks. Gap had to work for both runs, scratching them out with bunts and sacrifices while Seale looked to minimize the damage by baserunners.
“It’s the same thing every night, I believe in my team, I know they have my back,” Seale said. “Every pitch I throw I know they’re going to get the ball if it’s hit. I’m just so happy, I’m so excited for us, we’re going back to states.”
Meanwhile, before Smith’s shot, Sophie Adams came up big for the Mountaineers at the plate, knocking in both Madison runs with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and an RBI double in the sixth to score Estes both times. Adams also threw out a Buffalo Gap baserunner from her spot at catcher to give Madison some momentum in the fourth. Estes played the leadoff spot essentially perfectly on the night, going 2-for-4 while scoring the two runs.
Buffalo Gap’s Kate Alger struck out seven in the circle for the Bison while Alexandria Shinaberry and Paige Fix had the squad’s two RBI with one each.
The Mountaineers for their part will take on Page in the region final before starting the state tournament, and they’ll do it while continuing to fight through adversity.
“It’s made every single one of us step up to the plate and take on that responsibility that was there,” Seale said. “It makes us a stronger team — it makes us one big puzzle and we know how to fit.”
Madison County’s Bailey Smith talks about her walkoff homerun against Buffalo Gap to clinch a state tournament berth and a 3-2 victory in First Off the Field presented by @PT_acac pic.twitter.com/So0yJk22kD
— scrimmageplay (@scrimmageplay) May 30, 2019
