CRESTVIEW — It was Ragan Sowell's turn to shine for the Crestview High School softball team Friday afternoon.
Sowell was 2-for-2 at the plate with a double, a single, three runs batted in and a run scored as the Bulldogs beat Marshall County (Ky.) 5-4.
Photo gallery >>> Crestview vs. Marshall County.
"It seems like some different is stepping up every game," Bulldog coach Kathy Combest said as Sowell took her turn in the spotlight. "Eventually they are all going to step up in the same game and put it all together."
Sowell got Crestview (16-8) on the scoreboard in the third inning with a 2-run double that scored Parys Alexander and Amber Bell.
Alexander reached base when she was hit by a pitch and went to second base on a wild pitch. Alexander advanced to third as Bell singled to left field.
Bell stole second base setting the table for Sowell's double that cleared the bases.
Sowell later scored as Taylor Rolison was safe on a Marshall County error.
Crestview added two more runs in the fourth inning.
Kayla Kelch led off the inning with a triple and Kristin Bufkin was hit by a pitch.
Bufkin then stole second drawing a throw that allowed Kelch to steal home completing the double steal.
A one-out single by Bell moved Bufkin to third. Sowell's second hit of the day scored Bufking to complete the Bulldog scoring.
As the Bulldogs were wrapping up their scoring the Marshals were just getting started.
Marshal County scored three runs in the fifth to close the Bulldog lead to two. Two of the runs came on a rare 2-run sacrifice fly as Bulldog right fielder Molly Woodward made an acrobatic diving catch, but was unable to right herself in time to throw out Breanne Ray, who was on second at the time the ball as hit.
Combest appealed the play saying Ray left second base early, but the umpires denied the appeal and Ray's run stood.
A solo home run by Ray with one out in the top of the seventh cut the Crestview lead to 5-4.
Marshall County continued to threaten as Abby Fiessinger and Payton Smothers singled. The game ended with Fiessinger and Smothers on base as Crestview pitcher Taylor Rolison struck out by Caitlyn York and Toni Fehrenbacher on called third strikes to end the game.
Rolison went the distance in the circle to pick up the win for Crestview. The freshman pitcher gave up eight hits, struck out eight and walked one Marshall County batter.
"I'm just so pleased with our defensive plays and our heads up plays," Combest said. "That girl (Ray) didn't touch second (on sac fly in the fifth), but they didn't lose their cool.
"What I'm seeing in these girls that I didn't see in the beginning is they are confident and they are confident in me. They like that I'm positive and that I'm on them and that's what is turning the around."
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Sowell's turn to shine for Bulldogs (photo gallery)