Not So Fast!

Galyon walk-off lifts Lady Mountaineers to opening day win

Heritage sophomore Makayla Parsley takes second ahead of the throw during the Lady Mountaineer opening day win Tuesday. Photos by McKenzie Sherman

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

Angela Galyon takes a cut on Tuesday.

It was like one of those t-shirt launchers.

The only thing missing was the smoke as Angela Galyon’s two-run, walk-off home run lifted Heritage to a 7-6 win over West in the season opener for the home standing Lady Mountaineers on Tuesday.

“I just thought, ‘I have to do something because I don’t want to lose,’” Galyon said. “We had to keep going. We couldn’t get down.”

Galyon’s blast collected Chaina Cobb, who singled her way aboard with two out in the seventh to keep the inning alive. The Galyon homer proved a stunner of a reversal, West taking a one-run lead on a two-run shot in the opening half of the inning.

Great way to spend opening day, Heritage coach Jeff Sherman said.

“Good win,” he said. “We feel like we can compete with anybody when we play the way we’re capable. We were down a run in the last inning, so I asked the girls, ‘How are we going to respond?’”

Kaitlin Usry struck out five and surrendered two earned runs in the Heritage win.

Kaitlin Usry worked 4 1/3 innings for the Lady Mountaineers, the sophomore right-hander surrendering two earned runs, one each in the Lady Rebel second and fifth, striking out five.

Harley Frazier took it from there in relief, West rallying for pair of runs in the seventh to make it a thriller.

The Lady Rebels opened to a 2-0 lead in their half of the second, only to see senior India Lawson hit back for the Lady Mountaineers with a two-RBI single to right in the bottom half of the inning, the highlight of a four-run Heritage burst.

The Lawson rip pushed home Makayla Parsley (single) and Taylor Edwards (fielder’s choice). Katie Darnell boarded on a walk, later scoring on a squeeze during the Lawson at bat. Lawson would get home on a West error.

An early name to watch, Darnell had the hit of the afternoon in the Heritage fourth, the seventh inning from both clubs excepted. The speedy Lady Mountaineer sophomore deposited a line shot into the right-field corner, legging out a triple to lead off the inning.

Scoring on wild pitch, Darnell staked Heritage to a 5-2 lead entering the fifth.