During the softball game tonight, I shared with my friend and press box partner, Kevin Burress, my analogy about every so often it would be nice for someone to put a quarter in the horse.

You have to remember that I have no official role in any part of the things I try to do all spring long. What is that exactly ? Attempting to show support for all 12 coaches and their student athletes through a combination of announcing events and creating stories for them and their parents.

It went way beyond a hobby and then past a full-time job. There are days when I have to remind myself where I’m going to be that day. The current streak is now at calling something somewhere 19 out of the past 21 days.

Tonight ( Wednesday ), it will be Cavalier Park for the Middle School Softball game, and then on Thursday, it will be what I call a split double header. Starting with Carroll County – Fort Chiswell Varsity Softball and then crossing the Boulevard to announce the Girls 👧 Soccer game versus Radford. I struggle with the fact that I will miss the Girls JV game, especially after they have had to sit out the last three times the varsity played.

Why might be a great question, and it’s an easy answer. When you are chasing equality for all, no game or match should go without sound. Thankfully, Casey Burcham has two options each night at Bill Worrell Field, but that is the exception, not the rule.

Joshua is someone who I have a boat 🚢 load of respect for, so when he took the time to acknowledge the effort, it meant something to me!

If you are going to help Rick Nester with his program, then you have to do the same for Terry Warf in my world 🌎 anyway. By extension, I have been trying hard to call one of the games for the Middle School Softball team all season, and we are set to that later today.

Shawn Montgomery and Jon Delp are easy to help for a number of reasons. First, they are incredibly likable, and second, they only compete at home once a year.

Lawrence Nesselrodt at West Virginia Tech University and Vickey Ritchie with the Special Olympics are both people that I happily help whenever possible.

That takes us to the four coaches trying hard to move the needle forward in regard to soccer. Adrienne Harris McGuire, Forrest Johnson, Brittany Kinney, and Jeremy Puckett give everything that they have to their sport, and three of the quartet have class rooms they are responsible for during the day.

There is nobody on the list above that I would want to say no to, but there are days when the combination of announcing and creating stories afterward can be a challenge. On those days, it truly helps when someone who actually works in the school system takes the time to say, “I see you and appreciate what you are trying to do for our students ( and parents ).

Linda Edmonds is a special lady, and she raised her ” little boy ” well ! Know that the students at St. Paul are in good hands 🙌 with Principal Edmonds.

In five decades of holding a microphone 🎤, I can not remember a single night where everything just felt so very right except that pesky final score.

The scoreboard shows you that Floyd County outlasted our Lady Cavaliers in a Three Rivers District contest, 7-4.

The contest was the first or second close game of the season for Carroll County, and in the bottom of the fifth inning, our Lady Cavaliers climbed out of a 4-0 deficient.  The emotion of Holly Miller stepping on home plate to tie the score at 4-4 showed just how much the senior centerfielder wanted to win against the visiting Lady Buffaloes 🐃.

Floyd County would answer with two runs 🏃‍♂️ in the top of the sixth inning and finally added an insurance run in the seventh to secure the 7 – 4 victory.

Yes, we dropped a hard fought game to our neighbor / rival, but there were plenty of feel-good moments on display. Now, if you are a we didn’t win so I don’t care fan, you have everything you need to know about the game.

When we celebrate our seniors in their pre-game ceremonies, it’s my job to look for a way to frame the moment, and when Miss Allen turned around to stare at the press box, it was mission accomplished on that one !

Allen then took her moment and multiplied ✖️ it by 1000%. In her first at bat in the bottom of the third inning, she stroked a leadoff double. Bree Campbell went out to run for her and scored when Raylee Goins reached base.

Allen stepped into the batters box again in the bottom of the fifth inning. Leading off a frame for the second straight time, Allen launched a shot towards the gap in right center and this time, it carried the fence. The solo home run cut ✂️ the deficit to 4 – 3. Allen would make a third plate appearance and even made a memory in that one as the home plate umpire awarded her first base after believing that Floyd was issuing her an intentional base on balls.

Allen would have to return to the batters box 📦 and would earn a second base on balls in the same at bat ! Young Lady had herself quite the night.

The next young Lady that has a new memory is freshman, Ava Beamer. Beamer went into rarefied air by starting a game in her first year. Sydney Nester and Emma Leath and Gracie Davidson are a few of the previous Lady Cavaliers to do so under Head Coach Rick Nester.

The young lady’s father, Jake was holding winning ticket 🎟 in our Foul Ball contest and chose the size suitable for his Kiddo! The old line of ” been there, done that and have a 👕 to show for it ” fits here. Beamer held her own across 3 & 1/3 innings with the only driven hit surrendered was a 2-run home run hit by  Lilly Gillespie in the top of the second inning.

Next up on the impressive list was Miller. Our senior centerfielder chased down six hard hit fly balls and even managed to start a double play on one of them.

Long time, Floyd County coach Wes Starkey took the time to crack a smile about the fact he is willing to buy Miller a graduation present 🎁 just to not have to watch her steal hits from his players.

Kevin Burress and I were able to serenade Donna Nester with a version of Happy Birthday, and Team Mom turned 39 yesterday. We thought we were tolerable until Denise Webb let us know differently. Mean, just mean….

Emma Harman was able to be acknowledged for finishing up a very impressive stretch of high school dance 💃

Madison Coleman laced a double, and Brooke Webb singled and scored while Natalie Burress reached base three straight times.

Watching 👀 Tammy Tobler pull out her phone to record each at bat of Addie Greene so her grandmother 👵 wouldn’t miss a single swing while at the School Board meeting !

Kevin Burress was filling me in on the parents of the Floyd players who share the diamond 💎 with Natalie during travel ball. Neat people that he was describing throughout the game.

Both Campbell and Laynie-Jo Leonard pinch ran, meaning that all 12 Lady Cavaliers saw action 🎬.

Raylee Goins, Greene, Harman, and Laiken Burnett each hit absolute lasers, but all four balls found their way into an outfielders glove.

We played with energy, hit some shots, kept battling back, and Miss Allen had a night fit for a queen 👸.

Yes, we dropped a 7-4 decision to a solid ball club, but we will do it again on Thursday night, and this time center stage will belong to Miss Webb !

As was the case in the Softball game versus Floyd County, the GWHS versus Carroll County pitted travel players against teammates.

Marion Harris shared some photos, including Virginia Surge teammates, after the match.

We hope to hear from Coach McGuire sometime soon, maybe tomorrow.

Their busy week continues on Thursday night 🌙 when Radford comes to The Hill !

Brittany Kinney and her JV Lady Cavaliers remain in soccer ⚽️ jail for the third straight match, but the good news is they are released on Thursday !