BMS Softball Team Falls in Regular-Season Finale; Mid-Mountain Ten Tournament Starts Today
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on May 12, 2025
SUBMITTED BY BMS SOFTBALL COACH BILLY ESTOK
Last Thursday the BMS Lady Braves traveled to Robert C. Byrd High School to take on the Washington Irving Lady Hill Toppers. Washington Irving won the back-and-forth contest, 13-12.
This was the only meeting between the two teams during the 2025 season. The first meeting was canceled on two separate occasions due to inclement weather.
BMS started the game with a leadoff single and stolen base by Molly Frenzel. She scored on an RBI double by Mara Beverage. Payton Fisher followed with a double to centerfield that plated Beverage. One out later, Sophia Humble singled to center with Fisher scoring on the play and that gave the Lady Braves an opening 3-0 lead.
WIMS scored twice in the bottom of the first. Morgan Pitzer was hit by a pitch. Pitzer went to third on a single by Torrin Strawderman who then stole second base. Ariel Lamp walked to load the bases. Karmen McAvoy was hit by a pitch that saw Pitzer score. A wild pitch allowed Strawderman to score the WIMS second run.
In the top of the second, the Lady Braves sent nine batters to the plate and scored three more runs. Olivia Chapman singled to right and Sophia Rovello reached on a WIMS infield error. Frenzel followed with a single to left that saw Chapman score. One out later, Fisher singled to leftfield with Rovello scoring. Olivia Fittro reached on an error and Frenzel scored to give BMS a 6-2 advantage.
With two out in the bottom of the third, Lamp singled and scored on a triple by McAvoy to right centerfield. The score was now 6-3.
The Lady Braves increased their lead in their half of the fourth inning. Beverage reached first via a bunt, stole second, and moved to third on an infield ground out. Fittro singled to left and Beverage crossed the plate to make the score 7-3 in favor of BMS.
The Lady Hill Toppers responded with a one-out walk to Olivia Bailey. Morra Skiviat and Zowie Hilliard followed with consecutive singles to bring home Bailey. Skiviat scored on a BMS infield throwing error off the bat of Pitzer and Hilliard advanced to third. Hilliard scored on an infield ground out by Strawderman to cut the BMS lead to 7-6 after four innings of play.
In the BMS fifth, Annie Veigel, Chapman, and Frenzel each singled to start the frame. Beverage followed with the fourth straight single to bring home Veigel and Chapman and move Frenzel to third. Fisher singled to centerfield and Frenzel scored. The Lady Braves now held a 10-6 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, McAvoy and pinch hitter Bentleigh Byrd lead the inning off with back-to-back singles. Luceia Pettrey singled and moved to second on a BMS outfield error to score McAvoy and Byrd took third. After retiring the next two batters, Hilliard reached on a BMS infield error that plated Byrd. Hilliard moved to second on a wild pitch and Pitzer followed with a single. Strawderman doubled and Hilliard and Pitzer scored. Lamp reached on an infield error. McAvoy, making her second plate appearance of the inning, tripled to right centerfield letting Strawderman and Lamp cross the plate. WIMS had their first lead of the game at 13-10.
In the top of the sixth, Nora Martin hit a leadoff single and Veigel followed with a walk. Chapman grounded out to the pitcher and both runners advanced a base. Rovello grounded out to the pitcher and Martin scored on the play to cut the Lady Hill Toppers lead to 13-11.
WIMS was held scoreless in the bottom of the sixth.
In the Lady Braves seventh, Beverage reached on a WIMS infield error and stole second. With two outs, Beverage was able to reach third base. A wild pitch allowed Beverage to score. Humble and Martin hit back-to-back two strike singles. Audrey Corder entered the game as a pinch runner for Martin. Veigel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Unfortunately, BMS was not able to score another run. The final score was WIMS 13 and BMS 12.
This was the final game of the 2025 regular season for the Lady Braves.
The Mid-Mountain Ten Conference Softball Championship Tournament stared Saturday with an opening round game between the Elkins Lady Hornets and the Mountaineer Lady Mountain Lions at Elkins Middle School. The Lady Braves’ first game of the tournament is at 7 p.m. today at Grafton High School when they will meet the Taylor County Lady Knights.
