Thompson quells Brookville comeback by staying focused in the circle

A 4-0 Liberty lead had nearly evaporated. Brookville had the winning run on base. Tensions were running high. But it all suddenly came to a close as Thompson stabbed a line drive for the final out, giving Liberty a 4-3 victory.

“Honestly, I think that was a representation that, at that moment, the game was in my hands,” said Thompson, who finished with 13 strikeouts and held the Bees to five hits.

The sophomore lefty allowed just two hits through the first five innings, but Brookville staged a comeback in the sixth and seventh.

The Bees had the winning run on base with two outs in the seventh inning and tensions were running high.

Brookville had already scored once in the seventh and trailed by one with two runners on when Skyler Winfield came to the plate. But Winfield’s liner sailed right toward Thompson, who squeezed it in her glove and then spiked the ball in the dirt in celebration.

It was a fitting ending to the game. Thompson racked up the strikeouts and had been almost unhittable through the first five frames. She felt like the game was hers to win or lose.

“I’m glad it came back to me, because that’s something special that I will remember, always,” Thompson added.

Liberty (15-2) turned what otherwise was a pitchers’ duel between Thompson and BHS’s Madison Harris into a quick lead.

The Minettes took advantage of a Brookville error with two outs in that frame to score all four of their runs and take a 4-0 lead.

Minettes outfielder Rebecca Hensley, who this week was named the Lynchburg Sports Club’s female scholar athlete of the year, had an RBI double in that inning and third baseman Kacey Whorley drove home what would end up being the game-deciding run with a single.

“I really think that when we went up to bat, we believed we’d be able to do it,” Hensley said. “We pulled through and it showed, and I’m very proud of my team.”

Brookville (13-4) scored twice in the bottom of the sixth, off an RBI groundout by Nadia Tibbs and a Liberty infield error to make it 4-2.

Thompson got out of a jam that inning with a strikeout, but Brookville wasn’t done.

Kylie Stark (3 for 4) made it 4-3 with a flare to right and Brookville put two more runners on base before Winfield came to the plate. The BHS first baseman worked the count in her favor at 3-1, but Thompson hit the outside corner with a fastball for a strike.

Then Winfield hit the liner back to the LHS pitcher to give LHS a regular-season split with Brookville.

The final two innings were characteristic of Brookville this season. In games they’ve lost, they haven’t let up at the plate.

“We have a lot of heart,” said Brookville senior third baseman Chelsie Moran, who started the bottom of the sixth off with a hit and later came around to score. “ … We didn’t want to let [Thompson] get in our heads, so we just played our game. … Definitely waited back. Her changeup is really good. It got me multiple times. But I just think we got more disciplined at the plate.”

Hensley was impressed with how her team held on with Brookville threatening in the late innings.

“Closer to the end of the season games aren’t always gonna be easy,” she said. “So I think it will also help us later.”

Liberty leads the Seminole District, while Brookville was tied with Jefferson Forest for second place at the conclusion of the game.

Harris fanned 10 in seven innings and didn’t allow a walk.

“Instead of coming out the last two innings, we want to come out the whole game and hit like we can,” Moran added of her team’s offense.

Thompson had her trademark changeup working Tuesday night and relied more on her fastball than normal, too.

“I think getting ahead is important and we definitely did that,” she said. “Obviously, you get tired through the game, but I tried to keep my composure. Pretty much it’s all focus from there. So I just tried to stay focused through the last two [innings].”

Ben Cates covers high school sports for The News & Advance. Reach him at (434) 385-5527.