WAGENER — When faced with elimination last Monday against Great Falls, the Lady Wolverines showed that they had championship stuff in a 11-0 victory that showed dominance on offense and defense.
That effort was enough to punch their ticket to the SCHSL Class A Upper District 4 Championship against the Wagener-Salley War Eagles. Wagener-Salley handed the Lady Wolverines their first loss in the double-elimination tournament, just five days prior.
With the War Eagles having yet to lose in the tournament, it would take two strong performances from the girls from Whitmire to seal the championship. With the score tied at 1-1 going into the third inning, the Lady Wolverines turned up the heat with an eight-run inning to push the score to 9-4 after the War Eagles responded with three runs of their own.
The offensive production throughout the game was led by the bats of Olivia Martin, Bonnie Evans and Kenleigh Epps, combining for three RBIs and four runs of their own. Whitmire maintained the lead going into the latter portion of the game at 10-6. Unfortunately, that was when some uncharacteristic mistakes from the Whitmire defense helped Wagener-Salley score six runs to bring the game to 10-12.
Unable to find at least two runs in the final frame, the Lady Wolverines season ended with a record of 16-10 and an appearance in the Upper District Championship.
Seniors Amelia Bruyere, Janiyah Epps, Nyla Hill and Olivia Martin may have taken their last swings, but the impact of their legacy is sure to be seen next year as the remaining Lady Wolverines will seek to claim the district title and then some.