Vikings pull out OT win over Shorter
Abby Sprayberry had seen enough.
With the game heading into overtime with visiting Shorter, Sprayberry caused a turnover off the first draw control of the extra session, then found Molley Cross, who found Dani Taraska for the game-winning goal as Berry beat its cross-town rival 9-8 30 seconds into the extra session at Valhalla Stadium on Wednesday night.
A see-saw affair, the Vikings (5-0) trailed 8-7 with just over a minute to go in the contest. The Hawks possessed the ball in the offensive zone, but a goal-mouth scramble saw Kristina Jones come away with the ball for the Vikings. Jones would find an outlet and Berry quickly worked up field.
Cross would end up with possession and found Sprayberry on the wing, who fired a shot into the back of the net to tie the game at 8-all. Shorter (1-3) would have a chance to win in regulation, but a shot rang off the post with 13 seconds remaining, and Berry would gain possession and send the game into sudden death overtime.
The current Southern Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Week, Taraska had a hat trick in each game so far for the Vikings, but was sitting on two until her heroics in overtime. Cross ended the game with the only two assists for the Vikings, both of which came in the final three minutes of game time.
Katie Claire Smith finished the game with a pair of goals for Berry as the Vikings had five different goal scorers in the contest.
Jones had a game-high six saves for the Vikings as she remained unbeaten in goal in 2023.
Berry will be back in action Saturday at noon when it hosts Methodist.
SOFTBALL Vikings sweep doubleheader vs. Lagrange
Berry swept Lagrange in a double header by 8-0 and 5-1 scores Wednesday evening at Kay Williams field.
Berry scattered 14 hits in Game 1, as Katie White led with three at the top of the lineup.
After four scoreless innings for the Vikings, Anna Jackson doubled to left field to bring some momentum for Berry. Morgan Frye singled through the left side and then stole second to bring two runners to scoring position. Katie Parker hit a sacrifice fly to right field, with Jackson scoring to put Berry up 1-0.
The Vikings rallied for a seven-run sixth inning to put the game away. Frye started the inning off with a home run over the center field fence. Elly Bennett then singled to left center, with Grace Hamilton doubling to right center to put two runners on base. Aleeya Thornton tripled by sending one over the left fielder’s head to bring in two more for the Vikings, making the score 5-0.
White and Jackson both singled, each bringing in one run. Blair Hall homered down the left field line to bring the game to a run-rule end.
Hall (3-0) pitched the entire game, only allowing five hits from the Panthers. Frye, Thornton and Jackson all recorded two hits.
The Vikings got ahead in the first inning of Game 2 with three hits, scoring two. White led off with a single and was brought home by a Jackson double. Hall had a sac fly to center to bring Jackson in to bring the score to 2-0 at the end of the first.
Bennett doubled down the left field line and was brought in by White, to bring the score to 3-0 at the end of the second.
Lagrange strung some hits across in the sixth to make it a 3-1 contest.
Parker and Bennett had back-to-back walks in the sixth to put two runners on with no outs. White and Sydney Moroney both had RBI singles to bring the score to 5-1 and finish the scoring.
Hannah Gore started for Berry in the circle and allowed three hits and recorded eight strikeouts. Casey Holloway pitched her first career inning for the Vikings in the seventh.
White and Jackson both had two hits.
The Vikings will be on the road in Maryville, Tennessee, Saturday against Wittenberg with a noon start time, followed by the Vikings facing host Maryville at 2 p.m.