Buffalo Gap defeats Middlesex in Class 1 softball quarterfinals

SWOOPE — Caroline Alger is confident. In her senior season at Buffalo Gap, the pitcher feels like it’s the Bison’s year in state softball.

“We’re going to win it this year,” Alger said Tuesday afternoon. “I know we are.”

His comments came after Buffalo Gap’s 4-0 victory over Middlesex in the Class 1 quarterfinals at Buffalo Gap High School. With this victory, Gap will play in the state semifinals Friday at 12:30 p.m. at the Botetourt Sports Complex in Troutville.

Algiers earned the complete victory, allowing just one hit and striking out 14 in the victory. His bat was perhaps just as important as his arm. In a scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth, the Gap senior hit a solo home run that just cleared the left field fence.

“I knew it was gone,” she said of the explosion.

Her coach, Holly Desper, wasn’t as confident as her player. Desper thought it might be a little short, so she told Alger to run in case he hit the fence and stayed in play. The coach knew Alger could achieve at least a double. Then she saw the ball hit the net in the batting cages just to the left and knew her team had the advantage.

Meanwhile, Middlesex, who were runners-up in Region 1A, were unable to mount any attacks against Algiers. Through the first five innings, Alger threw no hits, giving up two walks and striking out one batter. But no runner got past second all afternoon and the only hit Middlesex got was an out in the top of the sixth on a single. Alger then retired the next batter before getting a groundout to shortstop to end the inning.

“I was happy with the way I pitched,” Alger said. “I managed to reach my points and I was sharp tonight.”

In the bottom of the sixth, Gap got a few insurance runs, including a leadoff home run from Bailey Talley. Talley had walked and struck out in his previous at-bat before hitting the long ball to left center for a 2-0 lead.

“After my second at-bat, I was really frustrated with myself,” Talley said. “I felt like the next at-bat was mine. I knew I was going to make it. I was confident and I was ready to go.”

Talley and Alger are the only two seniors on the team and both homered in their last game at Buffalo Gap Field.

Two batters later, Alger singled, moved to second on an error and scored on Hannah Coffman’s single. Coffman then came out to score Gap’s last run of the afternoon.

“It means everything,” Coffman said of his team’s return to the state semifinals, the place where Gap’s season ended the last two years. “To come back and be able to do the same thing we’ve been doing for the last few years is amazing.”

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— Patrick Hite is the News Leader’s education reporter. Story ideas and advice are always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

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