CRESTVIEW — Don’t tell Crestview High School softball Holly Gibson the Bulldogs didn’t have an angel in the outfield as they hosted Niceville in a big District 1-7A game Tuesday.
Gibson’s younger sister, Whitney Langley, a former Crestview softball player who died in a car accident in 2007, would have been 27 on Tuesday.
Nobody would have enjoyed the 2-1 Bulldog win than Whitney. And if you believe in such things as angels in the outfield maybe Whitney had a hand in Crestview’s first softball win over the Eagles in more than a decade.
Crestview-Niceville softball photos>>>
Gibson, who was a junior on the 2003 Crestview softball team that is believed to be the last to beat the Eagles, knew it could be done.
“Nobody thought we could do it (beat Niceville),” she said. “This was one of our goals starting the season and we did it.
“Together we are going to do more than anybody expected us to do and prove everybody wrong. I’m really proud of what this team has become.
The Bulldogs (6-1, 2-1) scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the first inning. Niceville pitcher Savannah Foster walked the bases loaded and then a touch of angel dust coated the infield when Taylor Rolison hit what seemed to be a routine grounder to third base.
It is uncertain if Eagle third baseman Kendall Bennett would have been able to get the force out at home on Taylor Bumgardner. But when Bennett was unable to make a clean play on the ball every Bulldog was safe and Crestview led 1-0.
From there the game turned into a pitchers’ duel with Foster and Rolison matching each other almost pitch for pitch.
Foster was a little wilder yielding eight walks to the Bulldogs as opposed to the three free passes Rolison gave the Eagles. Foster struck out 13 Crestview batters and Rolison struck out 12 Niceville batters.
Each pitcher gave up just one hit through the first five innings.
Niceville (5-1, 1-1) tied the game in the top of the sixth inning.
Graysen Gladden led off the inning with a single to right field. Jaci Hodskins moved Gladden to second on a sacrifice bunt. Gladden took third on a Haley Baker single and scored on Bennett’s sacrifice fly.
If there was an angel in the outfield for Crestview they were still hanging around when the Bulldogs came to bat in the home half of the sixth.
Carson Hritz drew a one-out walk for the Bulldogs. With two outs, Hailey Meredith, who had the only Crestview hit found some magic again.
Meredith laced a sinking line drive into right field. The Eagle right fielder attempted to make a shoe string catch, but the ball glanced off her glove and rolled into the right field corner allowing Hritz to score what turned out to be the winning run.
“Yeah I do (feel like we had an angel in the outfield).” Gibson said. “In the bottom of the sixth our nine hole hitter gets a clutch triple and we got that go ahead run.”
Rolison struck out the first two Eagle batters in the seventh. After giving up a walk to Kalee Polson, Rolison got Ashley Holder to pop out and end the game.
“It’s awesome,” Rolison said. “It means a lot because now everybody doesn’t doubt us. Everybody’s been doubting us saying we wouldn’t be able to do it.
“It’s nice proving everybody wrong.”
Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview softball shocks Niceville (PHOTOS, VIDEO)