Beavers Upset #14 Jesup, Will Play For State Bid

By Ryan Stonebraker

Sports Editor

  JESUP — The Wilton Beavers have not been to the state softball tournament since the 2009 season. After a 9-5 win at Jesup last Friday, they sit one-game away from the state tournament. The Beavers powered up for four home runs in the win and had 16 hits against J-Hawk pitching. Taylor Garvin hit two home runs while Peyton Souhrada and Chloe Wells each had one home run.
  The Beavers won their 24th game with the victory against 15 losses and will play in their first Regional Final since making the state tournament in 2009.
  Mila Johnson started the game and got her 11th win after working five innings. She struck out two, walked two, gave up nine hits and five runs. Chloe Wells pitched the final two innings in relief and did not give up a run or hit and struck out three batters. Rihanna Bigwood was the losing pitcher after working seven innings. She struck out three and gave up nine runs on 16 hits.
  Wilton had five players with multi-hit games. Taylor Garvin was 3-for-4 with two RBI’s and a double and Peyton Souhrada was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI’s. Both connected for home runs in the game. Wilton hit four home runs in the victory. Garvin had two homers while Souhrada and Chloe Wells each had one. Kortney Drake, Wells and Lexi Maurer each had two hits.
  Jesup had nine hits in the game, led by Bigwood, Andrea Gibbs and Carley Pint who each had two hits.
  Wilton scored the game’s first run in the top of the second on the first of two Taylor Garvin home runs. Jesup tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the inning and took a 4-1 lead with a three-run third. In the inning, the J-Hawks sent seven batters to the plate and had a three-run homer by Kristin Sadler.
  Wilton promptly responded with four runs in the top of the fourth inning, batting around in the order, and taking a 5-4 lead. The Beavers would not trail again. RBI hits in the inning came from a 2-run single by Peyton Souhrada and RBI singles from Chloe Wells and Mallory Lange.
  Wilton broke a 5-5 tie in the top of the fifth on solo home runs by Wells and Garvin to take a 7-5 lead. A solo home run by Souhrada in the sixth extended the Beavers lead to 8-5 after six. WIlton closed the scoring with a RBI single by Kali Milder in the top of the seventh to get the final of 9-5.