Amber Brinson came to the plate on Tuesday night with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with the winning run on third base.

She immediately fell behind in the count 0-2 and was in danger of leaving the batter’s box with the winning run still on third base.

That didn’t happen.

Brinson, who had been honored earlier in the night as Wesson’s only senior, drove a ball opposite field to the right field wall for a walk-off single to give the Cobras a 7-6 victory.

“It was a great feeling to do this on senior night,” Brinson said. “It was a great moment.”

The senior said that she’s never been a patient hitter, and that when she fell behind 0-2 it was nerve-wracking.

“If it comes across the plate, I’m going to be aggressive,” Brinson said. “I’ve never been a patient hitter.”

Wesson head softball coach Michelle Nunnery said that there was nobody she’d rather have at the plate than Brinson with the game on the line.

“She’s always been one of those players regardless of whether she was an eighth grader or a senior, she was going to get it done at the plate,” Nunnery said.”

Brinson, who had only thrown five games coming into the contest against the West Lincoln Bears, threw the final four innings for Wesson, not giving up a run and giving the Cobras every opportunity to get back into the game after falling behind 6-0 early in the contest.

“This year we’ve held back throwing her because we had to have her in the outfield defensively,” Nunnery said. “It’s great that she can come back having not pitched in a game situation and be able to pitch like she did.”

On a night where the Cobras honored Brinson for everything she had done in her high school career, on and off the field, the senior capped it off with her best performance of the season.

“I’m proud of the girls for fighting back,” Nunnery said. “When we had to get things done, we worked hard and finished the game.”

West Lincoln’s Bailey Wilson got the scoring started in the contest as she belted a double to right-center field in the first inning to bring in two runs. Averi Paden hit a RBI-groundout to make the score 3-0.

After a scoreless second inning, West Lincoln replicated the first inning in the third with Wilson hitting a two-RBI double and Paden hitting another RBI-groundout to make the score 6-0.

West Lincoln held the Cobras off the scoreboard for the fourth and fifth innings, but Wesson’s bats came to life in the bottom of the fifth.

Brinson hit a two-RBI double to cut the score to 6-2. Laynee Crapps followed with a RBI-single to cut the score to 6-3 at the end of the fifth.

After Brinson pitched a scoreless sixth inning, the Lady Cobras cut the deficit to only one in the bottom of the sixth on a two-RBI single from Anna Claire Crow.

After Brinson pitched a scoreless seventh inning, she led off the bottom of the inning with a triple and Crapps would bring her in on the next pitch with a RBI-single. West Lincoln would maneuver out of the inning and send the game to extras.

Both teams would strand a runner in scoring position in the eighth, but after pitching her fourth scoreless frame in the top of the ninth Brinson would knock Shelbi Maxwell to give the Cobras the victory.

“As a senior I feel like I have to step my game up a little bit,” Brinson said. “It worked out tonight.”

West Lincoln will play Brookhaven tonight, and Wesson will host Florence on Friday. The Cobras will start the playoffs on Tuesday with the opponent yet-to-be-determined. 

Story by Collin Brister