Cougars Beat Bobcats In Overtime Thriller

Cougars Beat Bobcats in Overtime Thriller
By David Gravely

Last week the Cougar soccer team traveled to Radford, and at the end of the contest the issue remained tied after a scoreless overtime. This week, it looked like the outcome would end up the same until the final seconds of the second overtime period when the Cougars were able to finish the contest in a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over the Bobcats.

For the first twenty minutes, the ball went back and forth with neither team able to take advantage of scoring opportunities. The Bobcats would get on the board first when Hunter Kincaid fielded a misplayed ball from the Cougar defense, putting the Bobcats up 1-0. The Bobcats had another chance a couple of minutes later when they were awarded a penalty kick, but Zack Willard came up with the big save to swing momentum the Cougars way.

At the 15 minute mark Tye Saul found an open Andrew Powers, who sent in a hard kicked curving shot into the back of the net, tying the score 1-1. The remainder of the half found both sides battling to keep possession, and finally in the closing seconds of the first half, Daegan Friend was fouled in the box. Javier Wagner converted the penalty kick, putting the Cougars on top 2-1.

The Bobcats came out in the second half attacking a flat Cougar team. They capitalized in the first minute of the half when Juan Perez placed a shot into the back of the net, making the score 2-2. Pulaski would answer back with just over 33 minutes remaining when a free kick from Taylor Webster found an open Cory McDaniel who volleyed the ball from 18 yards out, putting the Cougars on top 3-2. With just 14:20 on the clock, Radford's Carson Hooper took advantage of the Cougar's inability to clear the ball, tying the score 3-3. The Bobcats tried to capitalize on numerous scoring chances in the closing minutes of regulation, but Willard and the Cougar defense kept them at bay. When the clock ran out, the score remained 3-3.

In the first 5 minute overtime period, both teams failed to get any good looks at each others goals. In the second overtime period, it looked like the stalemate would continue, and the Cougars thought they were going to end up with another tie. In the closing seconds of the match Zack Willard boomed around a 70-80 yards punt towards the Bobcat goal. The ball bounced to the left of the Bobcat goal, and Zack Akers hustled to get it and pass it to Javier Wagner, who chipped the ball in giving the Cougars the 4-3 victory.

"I am proud of the guys tonight" said Cougar Head Coach Mike Price. "They played to the final whistle, and it paid off. We had a lot of guys playing through injuries tonight, and I am impressed with their grit. Andrew, Javier, and Cory helped give us the offensive production we needed. Our midfielders (Cody Wright, Austin Talbert, Tye Saul, Trevor Hedge, and Daegan Friend) were all over the field. Jordan Taylor, Gabe Leblanc, Taylor Webster, Cody Linkous, and Kevin Powell played well in defense. Zack Willard had a great game as well for us, recording 11 saves....some of them breakaways. We still have some ball movement issues, and we aren't working the sidelines well. We also have to quit giving the opponent numerous looks at our goal by not properly clearing the ball. Marking up seems to be an issue as well. Hats off to Radford, they have a great team. Regardless, this was one of the most nerve racking games I have ever coached. I don't need blasts to the ticker like that. In the end, we came away with the victory, and I hope we continue to improve and keep winning."

The Cougars hit the road in a scheduled varsity double header on Wednesday in Galax with the Lady Cougars varsity team. The girls will take the field first, kicking things off at 5:30. The boys will finish the night off, getting under way at 7 pm.

Lady Cougars Blast Colonels

Lady Cougars Blast Colonels
By David Gravely

When your junior varsity squad starts the night off with their first win in over two years, you have to hope that your varsity team can follow that act up with a strong performance as well. That was just what happened on Thursday in Roanoke, as the Pulaski County Lady Cougar soccer team go their second win of the season over William Fleming by a final score of 7-0.

"We were really pleased with the effort we saw out of both squads tonight" said Head Coach Eric Martin. "The girls seemed to be moving the ball better, they're communicating better, and we were more aggressive and athletic tonight. We just need to keep learning and getting better every day."

The younger Lady Cougar squad started the night off in fine fashion, winning 7-1 in a contest that found Pulaski controlling the tempo and the ball most of the game. Dublin Middle School eighth grader Moriah Hinton led the attack with three goals, including the first and last goals of the game. Erin McPeak and Kaitlin Edwards added two each to the effort. One negative note from the contest was when halfway through the first half defender Madison Surber had to be taken out of the game with an injury sustained while battling for the ball. It was later confirmed that Surber had broken her arm.

With the JV contest in the books, the varsity team had high hopes for their matchup. Five minutes into the first half, Ericka Nash broke free down the left side of the field, cleared the defenders, and sent a rocket to the back of the net to give Pulaski the 1-0 lead. Ten minutes later, Casey Snider found herself with the ball and open in front of the net, and she made good on her first varsity score ever. Caitlin Lovell didn't want to be left out, and six minutes later she was able to poke the ball past the William Fleming goalkeeper to give Pulaski a 3-0 lead. With just over 8 minutes remaining in the first half, Kourtney Stuart broke free and beat the defense with a hard shot of her own, giving the lady Cougars a 4-0 lead that they would take into the half.

The second half saw much of the same, as the Lady Cougars continued to pressure the ball up the field and force shots on the Fleming goal. Lauren McPeak, Ciara Sarver, and Nash would each add goals in the final half to give Pulaski the 7-0 win. Nash would finish with two goals and one assist, McPeak and Lovell finished with one goal and one assist each. Kelly Russell added two assists, while in goal Alisha Romain had three saves before being relieved by Tori Duncan, who recorded three saves.

"Chelsie Testerman played fantastic in the back along, with Briana Blankenship and Kristina Simpkins" said Coach Martin. "We're very pleased. We set out to win and we did. We possessed the ball well, we played in their half of the field, and we were able to put pressure on the ball the instant Fleming touched it. This was a total team performance tonight. Now we need to get back to work and get ready for our next game. As a program we are still behind the power curve when compared to some others, but we're making progress. We've set our goals, and we're going to work hard to reach them."

The Lady Cougars hit the road Monday to face Radford, and then travel to Galax on Wednesday. Junior varsity action for each game starts at 5:30, with varsity games set to start at 7 pm.

Lady Cougars Blast Galax

Wright Leads Lady Cougars Past Galax
By David Gravely

Hitting a home run is a pretty big deal, but hitting two in the same game is really something to talk about. Add to that the fact that you also add a double to go 3 of 4 at bat, earn 3 RBI's, and steal a base and you get the results that Pulaski County Lady Cougar softball player Sara Wright had on Wednesday in their 15-2 win over Galax.

"This was a great hitting effort for us" said Head Coach Gina Miano. "All of our players contributed in one way or the other, and were able to get some players some valuable field time. Two home runs out of the park in the same game.....I've never seen that on my team in 15 yrs. coaching. This was a huge night for Sara."

The offensive attack started early for the Lady Cougars, with lead off batter Jordan Chrisley getting things started with a double. After stealing third, Chrisley scored on an RBI single by Kelli Duncan. Duncan was thrown out at second when Lauren Shumate hit a single, but Wrights first at bat of the night was a double to move Shumate to third. Chelsea Golden came up to bat next, and after making contact she showed some hustle and made it to first on a Galax error as Shumate scored. Carli Brewer hit a sacrifice bunt to score Wright before the inning ended with Pulaski up 3-0.

After the strong first inning showing, the Lady Cougars never looked back, adding two runs in the second inning and then four more in the third inning. The fourth inning found Wright back up to the plate, and when her pitch came she connected, sending the ball sailing over the 200 foot mark for a solo home run. Up 10-2 in the fifth inning, the Lady Cougars began to work more players into the game and were held scoreless for the first time. The quiet time ended in the when Pulaski came back up to the plate in the sixth inning, however, and after Shumate sent the ball up the left baseline for a double, Wright stepped in to once again crush the ball, sending it sailing over the center field fence with plenty of distance to spare. The Lady Cougars added a total of five runs in the sixth inning, off of four hits, one walk, and plenty of hustle around the bases.

Wright led the Lady Cougars at the plate, going 3 of 4 with two home runs, a double, three RBI's, three runs scored and a stolen base. Shumate went 2 of 4 with two runs scored, a double, two RBI's and a steal. Chrisley added a 2 of 4 effort with three runs scored, two doubles, three RBI's, and three stolen bases. Lauren Foster went 2 of 4 with two runs scored, including a deep triple, two RBI's and a stolen base, and Britta Cannoy went 2 of 4 with two runs scored, an RBI and a steal. Kelli Duncan went 1 for 3 with two RBI's, while Katherine Hurst earned two walks in her three plate appearances, scoring two runs and stealing a base. Chelsea Golden also scored a run after getting on base due to a Galax error. In all, the Lady Cougars had 12 hits and one error, while holding Galax to five hits and four errors.

Kaitlin Smith started things off on the mound for Pulaski, facing 14 batters during the first three innings and allowing three hits, two runs (two earned) and striking out five batters. Callie Gregory finished the game for the Lady Cougars, facing 12 batters in the final innings. With that she allowed two hits and one walk, striking out two batters.

"This was a great offensive effort not only for Sara, but for our entire team" said Miano. "Some of the kids came around and got their "mojo" back at the plate, and we had a lot of great base running and steals. We're very proud of the effort we put out tonight, and we're really excited to play our next game"

The win moves Pulaski to 2-1 on the season, with their next game scheduled for Saturday on a road trip to James Monroe High School. Pulaski will finish out the week with a road trip to Patrick Henry on Wednesday and then hosting Floyd on Friday.

Cat Fight Ends In Tie

Cat Fight Ends In Tie
By David Gravely

The Pulaski County Cougars and the Radford Bobcats faced off Tuesday at Radford High School in what was a tough and physical match up. In the end, a penalty kick by each team put the only points on the board as the game ended in an overtime tie.

During the first half both teams battled back and forth, but the goal keepers from both teams did their jobs and kept the game scoreless. While both teams had opportunities to score, the half would end deadlocked 0-0.

The second half started the same as the first, with neither team able to take advantage of open shots on goal and good runs. With 13:25 left in the game, Pulaski was awarded a penalty kick on the Radford goal. Cody Wright stepped up and capitalized, making the score 1-0 for the Cougars. The Bobcats went back on the attack, and with 6:50 remaining Radford was awarded a penalty kick of their own. Caleb Findley sent the ball towards the Cougars goal, and while Pulaski keeper Zack Willard did get a hand on the ball, it went in to tie the score at 1-1.

The time on the clock ran out with the score still tied, sending the game into overtime. In out of district contests, two five minute overtime periods are played in an attempt to break a tie. Both overtimes went scoreless, and the issue will have to be continued next Monday as the Bobcats travel to Pulaski for the return match.

"I thought we hustled more tonight, but we are still having problems capitalizing on our chances" said Cougar Head Coach Mike Price. "We had a couple of breakaways, set-pieces, and shots that were off target. I liked that we increased our offensive push in the second half, but I think we are still a step-off where we want to be. We have a couple of days to rest and work on improving some areas. It was a rough, physical game, and I think the majority of the guys handled themselves well despite the circumstances. We still need to exhibit some control out there."

The junior varsity contest was delayed due to lightning in the area, but in the end it ended in a scoreless tie. The two teams will meet again on Monday at Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium. JV action is set to begin at 5:30, with the varsity action getting underway at 7 pm.

Lady Bobcats Claw Past Lady Cougars

Lady Bobcats Claw Past Lady Cougars
By David Gravely

Pulaski Counties Lauren McPeak made good on a penalty kick early in the first half to tie the game at 1-1 , but the Radford Lady Bobcats were not to be denied as they went on to win by a final score of 7-1 on Tuesday in Dublin.

After assaulting the Pulaski goal for the first several minutes of the game, Radford started the scoring with 34 minutes remaining in the first half on a hard shot that got past Cougar goalie Alisha Romain.  Just over a minute later, a Radford penalty gave Pulaski a penalty kick, which McPeak converted to tie things back up at 1-1.

The Lady Bobcats would continue to pressure the ball against the Lady Cougar defense, adding a goal at the 28 minute mark and the 12 minute mark of the first half.  Despite a few deep runs, Pulaski was unable to get clean shots on the Radford goal, and the half ended with Radford ahead 3-1.

Pulaski was again put on their heels early in the second half, and the Lady Bobcats would go on to score four more unanswered goals to take a 7-1 win back across the bridge.   Cougar goal keeper Alisha Romain finished the game with 12 saves.

"We did some good things and I can see the improvement" said Lady Cougar Head Coach Eric Martin.   "However, at this level we have to play much faster and be more physical.   We did not do a good job of getting to the ball first and did not win hardly any of the 50/50 balls.   After good games against Galax and Carroll County we needed a good back to reality game that showed us how much work there still needs to be done. Overall, we got better and that is what matters the most."

The Lady Cougar junior varsity team also fell to Radford, giving up a 7-0 lead before the game was called short due to lightning in the area.  The Lady Cougars get no rest, as they hit the road on Thursday to face William Fleming in Roanoke.   Junior varsity action is set to begin at 5:30, with the varsity game getting underway at 7 pm.

Lady Cougars Drop Close One To Floyd

Lady Cougars Fall To Floyd
By David Gravely

Two days after an impressive opening day win, the Pulaski County Lady Cougar Softball team got it's first taste of defeat as they fell on the road to Floyd by a final score of 4-2.

The first inning found the Lady Cougars ready to pick up where they left off Wednesday with the bats. Jordan Chrisley led off with a single, and then Carli Brewer moved her to second on a sacrifice bunt.   Brooke Hundley hit another sacrifice to move Chrisley to third base, and then Sarah Wright hit a single, scoring Chrisley and putting the Lady Cougars up 1-0.

Floyd answered immediately, but it was errors and mistakes by Pulaski that gave them that chance instead of solid hitting. The Lady Buffalo's scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning off of a walk and two errors to take a 2-1 lead.

The second innings went scoreless for both teams, as both had trouble throughout the game getting the bat on the ball. Pulaski added a run in the top of the third to tie things up, but Floyd came back again when they were able to get a hit to put a runner on base in the third. Two errors later the Lady Buffs retook the lead, 3-1.

The final score of the game came in the sixth inning when Aimee Royal of Floyd hit a booming triple, and then the Lady Buffs were able to execute a squeeze play to get the earned run and the final 4-2 margin of victory.

Pulaski attempted to comeback in the seventh inning, and with one out on the board Kelli Duncan hit a double, followed by a Lauren Foster double to move Duncan to third. Floyd intentionally walked heavy hitter Jordan Chrisley, hoping to have better luck with Brewer. Brewer connected with the ball, but it went to third for a ground out, holding the runners in place. Brooke Hundley took the Floyd pitcher to a full count, but a strike on a checked swing ended the rally for the Lady Cougars.

"It was a great game even though we lost" said Lady Cougar Head Coach Gina Miano. "We had too many errors. They had one earned run, we had two, so our errors beat us defensively. Our rally in the seventh showed that our girls were ready to play. We were in a position to win but couldn't quite get it. It was a great learning experience. The kids started slow but then finished and never gave up. If you take away one of those errors, the game is ours. As much as we hated to lose it, I'm proud of the effort and the growth we will gain from this. We showed good composure and are ready to get back at it."

Jordan Chrisley led the Lady Cougars at the plate with a 2 for 3 effort, scoring two runs and also earning a walk.  Sara Wright went 2 for 2 with an RBI and a stolen base, while Kelli Duncan went 1 for 2.  Lauren Foster went 1 for 3 with her seventh inning double, and freshman Chelsea Golden went 1 for 3.  Brooke Hundley earned an RBI on one of her two sacrifice bunts, and Lauren Shumate earned a stolen base.  On the mound, Kaitlin Smith went all seven innings, facing 34 batters.  In that time she allowed six hits, four runs, one earned run, one walk, and struck out five batters.

The Lady Cougars get back into action on Wednesday when they travel to Galax to take on the Lady Maroon Tide. Game start time is set for 5 pm.

Lady Cougars Roll In Season Opener

Lady Cougars Down Patrick Henry
By David Gravely

The bats were hot and the defense looks tough as the Pulaski County Lady Cougars started their 2012 season off with a commanding 10-2 win over the visiting Patrick Henry Lady Patriots on Wednesday in Dublin.

"We're pretty happy with what we saw today" said Head Coach Gina Miano. "We hit the ball well, and played solid defense. It was a great overall team performance. Our older players did what they were supposed to do, and we got some nice surprises from a few of our younger players as well. They all really stepped it up today and did a great job."

The Lady Cougars came out of the gate hot, shutting Patrick Henry down in the top of the first. Once they came to the plate, the momentum continued when lead off batter Jordan Chrisley got things started with a double. Carli Brewer hit a single, moving Chrisley to third, and then stole second base to put two runners in scoring position. Brooke Hundley hit an RBI single to score Chrisley and move Brewer to third, and then Sara Wright stepped in to hit a two RBI single to score both Brewer and Hundley. With one out on the board, Kelly Duncan hit a sacrifice bunt to move Wright to second, but the next two batters struck out to end the inning with Pulaski up 3-0.
Pulaski would again shut down Patrick Henry in the top of the second inning, and then Jordan Chrisley added her second run of the game off of a hit followed by a Patrick Henry error. The third inning was scoreless for both teams, leaving the Lady Cougars up 4-0 going into the fourth.

Solid pitching from senior Kaitlin Smith, along with solid defense from the rest of the team, left the Lady Patriots again unable to put anything on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning. Pulaski came back up to bat, but two quick outs put them in a hole early. Chrisley got things going again with a triple hit to deep left center field, and after being hit by a pitch Brewer stole second to again put Pulaski in a good position. Hundley crushed a two RBI double to score Chrisley and Brewer, and then Sara Wright hit another single to score Hundley. Good base running by Wright allowed her to get to third base on Kelly Duncans single, and then Duncan stole second. As Duncan was stealing second, Wright made a quick move and was able to steal home, giving Pulaski it's fourth run of the inning and an 8-0 lead.

The fifth inning found the Lady Cougars with a new pitcher on the mound, as freshman Callie Gregory came in to relieve Smith. In her first inning as a varsity pitcher, she faced five batters and allowed one run on two hits, but her second inning is the one she will remember the most. A pop fly gave her the first out, and a solid effort gave her the first strike out of her Lady Cougar career. The third batter connected with the ball, hitting a line drive directly back at her, hitting her just above the knee at full speed. While she did come out of the game to get some much needed ice, the promising freshman did come back out without issues for the handshake at the end of the game.

The Lady Cougars and Lady Patriots would each go on to add two runs as the backups came into the game, and the contest would end with Pulaski getting the 10-2 win.

"We've still got some injuries we're trying to get healed up, but I thought our younger players really did a good job stepping in tonight" said Miano. "Before the game the girls were excited instead of nervous. During the game, they reacted like veterans and like they had been there before. There was alot of enthusiasm throughout the game, and we backed each other up. Those are all really good signs of things to come. They've worked really hard, and we had a really good last two practices. Coach Vern had the pitchers ready, and Coach Brewer did a great job having the batters ready. I think we're on the right path."

The Lady Cougars will be back in action on Friday, as they host Floyd at the Lady Cougar Softball Field at 5 pm. "We haven't beaten Floyd before. They are a tough program, so this will tell us exactly where we are. I think this team is looking forward to the challenge."