By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — So that’s why she won that award.

Lincoln County Lady Panthers’ Josie Bird was the 2022 winner of the Johnny Bench Award for the best softball catcher in West Virginia.

Bird showed why she won the award as she went 4-4 with a double, a home run and 4 runs batted in as the Lady Panthers beat the Fairland Lady Dragons 7-2 on Monday.

Lincoln County (5-1) had 9 hits with Haleigh Adkins going 2-4 and Macie Lunsford 1-4 with a double and RBI.

The Lady Dragons (0-3) got 5 hits with Kaylee Salyer going 2-2, Katie Pruitt 1-4 with a double, Katie Dehart 1-3 with an RBI and Jordan Spencer 1-3.

Ryleigh Shull got the complete game win as she struck out 10, walked 5 and allowed one earned run.

Salyer took the loss as she struck out 5, gave up only 2 earned runs and did not issue a walk.

Lincoln Co. 100 140 1 = 7 9 1

Fairland    011 000 0 = 2 5 4

Ryleigh Shull and Josie Bird. Kaylee Salyer and Makena Black. W-Shull (IP-7.0, H-5, R-2, ER-1, K-10, BB-5). L-Salyer (IP-7.0, H-9, R-7, ER-2, K-5, BB-0). Hitting-LC: Haleigh Adkins 2-4, Allison Ramey 1-4, Josie Bird 4-4 2B HR 4-RBI, Ryleigh Shull RBI, Macie Lunsford 1-4 2B RBI, Rebecca Pennington 1-4; FHS: Kaylee Salyer 2-2, Katie Pruitt 1-4 2B, Katie Dehart 1-3 RBI, Jordan Spencer 1-3.