HUNTINGTON— The Greenbrier East Spartans racked up 16 hits compared to Spring Valley Timberwolves’ four on Saturday, March 29, but fell short in an 8-7 defeat at Spring Valley. Despite their offensive output, the Spartans stranded too many runners, while the Timberwolves made the most of their limited opportunities.
The Spartans squandered an early chance in the first inning, loading the bases with one out but failing to score. They finally broke through in the third when Eli Green’s single brought home Nelson Lynch, who had doubled, giving East a 1-0 edge.
In the top of the fifth, East seemed poised to seize control. Brady May doubled, Lynch walked, and Green singled to load the bases again. Layne Lambert delivered an RBI single, followed by run-scoring hits from Brayden Bascombe and Zion Detko. However, a double play—triggered when Bascombe was thrown out at home—halted the rally. Still, the Spartans led 5-1.
The Timberwolves (6-2) flipped the script in the bottom of the fifth with a bizarre six-run outburst, despite managing just one hit. Three hit-by-pitches and five walks fueled the rally, with junior Parker Phillips providing the lone hit—a two-run double—lifting Spring Valley to a 7-5 lead.
East (5-2) fought back to tie the game at 7-7 in the sixth, but Spring Valley reclaimed the lead at 8-7 in the bottom half. The Spartans mounted a threat in the seventh, but momentum stalled when Bascombe was tagged out at home on a hit by Graham Brewster, thanks to a sharp play by Spring Valley’s Cole Ferguson. May grounded out to seal the Timberwolves’ victory.
Lambert (3-4, one run, three RBIs) and May (3-5) paced East’s offense, while Brewster, Green, and Bascombe each chipped in two hits. Green started on the mound, pitching four innings and allowing three hits, six runs, and five walks. Sonny Herbert took the loss in relief.
The Spartans look to rebound when they face the Summers County Bobcats on Monday, March 31, at 5:30 p.m.
