SPRING VALLEY -- The 'Spring' in Spring Valley does not stand for 'Spring Break.'
At least not for the Timberwolves' softball team.
Just one day after losing a mercy-rule game to rival Huntington, the Timberwolves fell victim to the hot pitching of St. Albans' Samantha Snodgrass. Snodgrass pitched a perfect game as the Red Dragons defeated Spring Valley 2-0.
"They have to work through this and we will be fine," Spring Valley coach Stacey Mabry said. "It's early in the season."
While Mabry stayed upbeat, her team could not boast of the same energy. Mabry said her players are going through a stretch where they have several tests in the classroom as well as playing through one of the most difficult weeks of their season. Both Huntington and St. Albans are top-tier teams in Class AAA.
"Their emotions are not good. They are tired," Mabry said. "We've only been on the field -- practice and everything -- six times maximum. Their bats are -- I don't know what the problem was with their bats today."
Softball is a game of emotion and pitching and on this day, St. Albans had the upper hand on both levels. The Red Dragons were coming off a victory over Riverside and were primed for the game and Snodgrass came out and shut down the Timberwolves' lineup.
"Our senior got hurt and she's not with us right now," St. Albans coach Greg Garber said. "Other people had to step in and Sam has done a marvelous job for us. A perfect game -- you can't ask for much more than that."
Even though she was excited about pitching the perfect game, Snodgrass admitted that she would rather be out of the circle than in it. Garber joked that he might have to convince her otherwise after she struck out 10 batters and did not allow a ball out of the infield for the entire seven innings.
"It's not my favorite position, but I'll do it," Snodgrass said. "I like playing shortstop, but I'll pitch when I have to."
The outing by Snodgrass spoiled an equally-impressive outing by Spring Valley's Stasia Jackson, who took the hard-luck loss.
Jackson struck out 12 batters and kept St. Albans off balance for much of the contest, but the Red Dragons got all the run support needed in the second inning.
After Markala Caudill walked to open the inning, Kaylee Carter laced a pitch from Jackson over the left-center field wall for the only runs in the game. Carter finished with two of the game's five hits.
It gets no easier for the Timberwolves this week. After back-to-back games against two of the top programs in the state, Spring Valley will host Lincoln County at 5 p.m. today.
Mabry said she had some simple advice for her team to turn things around.
"Relax and have fun," Mabry said. "They are not relaxed and they are not enjoying themselves. They have to go back to learning that this is about fun. They are putting too much thought into it. They need to relax and go back to doing what they already know."
ST. ALBANS 020 000 0 -- 2 5 0
SPRING VALLEY 000 000 0 -- 0 0 0
Snodgrass and Carter. Jackson and K. Stickler. WP -- Snodgrass. LP -- Jackson. Hitting: (SA) Carter, 2-3, HR, 2 RBI.
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