Lauren Fox won the battle, and the Wheeling Park softball team won the war.
In a matchup of No. 1s, Fox launched an offering from Brooke’s Maleaha Misch over the fence in left field for a home run in the top of the fourth inning to account for the game’s lone run, as the No. 4 seed Patriots defeated the No. 3 seed Bruins, 1-0, in an elimination game in the Class AAA Region 1 Section 1 tournament Wednesday evening at Brooke.
It was a banner day for Fox. Earlier in the day, she signed to play softball at West Liberty.
“It was nice to see Lauren hit that home run,” Wheeling Park (8-21) head coach Pat Durkin said. “Earlier, she signed to play at West Liberty, and then she hit the home run to celebrate.”
Brooke’s inability to come up with a timely hit doomed the Bruins in their season-ending loss.
“Our girls battled,” Brooke (16-8) head coach Jim DiCarlo said. “They played hard. Wheeling Park made some unbelievable defensive plays. I’m so proud of them.”
With the win, Wheeling Park will play top-seeded Morgantown today in an elimination game on the road. John Marshall, the No. 2 seed, defeated Morgantown, 5-1, in the semifinals Wednesday on the road to advance to the sectional final Friday.
