Cave Spring easily advances to Group AA softball finals

RADFORD — The Cave Spring softball team didn’t do much celebrating after winning its semifinal game Saturday.

The Knights promise to be much more exuberant if they win again today.

Cave Spring advanced to a state title game for the first time by beating King George 7-1 in a Group AA semifinal at Radford University.

“It’s amazing,” said sophomore Alayna Francis, who had a pair of RBI singles. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

The Knights (23-4), who needed an extra inning to win their quarterfinal game Tuesday, took the lead for good in the second inning Saturday. That might explain why there was no team bear hug at game’s end.

“I guess it was because it wasn’t as tough a win as our last one,” Francis said. “[But] I think the next game is going to be pretty hype.”

The Knights were confident, even though King George entered the game with just one loss.

“The game tomorrow will really bring out our excitement,” said Kylie Kent, who had one hit and scored twice. “We were really hoping to do good in this game, but there was a part of us that knew if we played our game, we could do it.”

The Knights will face Woodgrove in the Group AA final at 1 p.m. today at RU.

“It’s good to say we finally made it,” winning pitcher Taylor Asimakopoulos said. “We’ve been working all year to get to here.”

Asimakopoulos (22-3) pitched a two-hitter against King George (24-2). She struck out six and walked three.

“It was really exciting,” she said with a smile.

The junior also went the distance in Tuesday’s 10-9, eight-inning win over Broadway. But she allowed 11 hits in that game.

“After getting all those hits off you, you’ve got to buckle down and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she said. “My pitches were working a little bit better today. My dropball today was a really big factor, and my changeup.”

Asimakopoulos has been taking pitching lessons from Ron Reynolds, the coach of River Ridge District rival Salem.

“I’ve been practicing a lot this year. I’ve been trying to get better,” she said. “It’s my junior year, and I want to make sure I finish this year and my senior year on a good note.”

Losing pitcher Taylor Brandts (19-1) threw a six-hitter. She struck out seven and walked three. The Knights, in the semifinals for the first time since 2006, took a 2-0 lead in the second.

Kent walked, advanced on a wild pitch and a grounder, and scored on a passed ball. Francis had an RBI single later in the inning.

Cave Spring added five runs in the fourth.

The Knights loaded the bases on singles by Kent and Pami White and a walk. Francis had an RBI single. A Hailey Sitze grounder brought home another run, as did an error. Abby Beatty’s grounder scored another run, and Asimakopoulos had an RBI infield hit.

Francis, one of six sophomore starters in the Cave Spring lineup, is the No. 8 batter in the order.

“I kind of like being No. 8,” Francis said. “People don’t expect you to hit, so it’s kind of fun.”

The Foxes scored a run in the fifth on an error, a sacrifice bunt, a grounder and an RBI single by Alexis Sheehan.

King George 000 010 0 — 1 2 1

Cave Spring 020 500 x — 7 6 1

T. Brandts and M. Brandts; Asimakopoulos and White. W— Asimakopoulos (22-3). L— T. Brandts (19-1).

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