Clarke softball squeezes by Colonels 1-0

March 22, 2012
By Robert Stocks

WINCHESTER- Clarke County softball coach Susan Grubbs knows that facing a little adversity is only going to help her team once it begins Bull Run District play.

Through four of the Eagles' first six non-district games against Group AA opponents, Grubbs' team owns a 3-1 record and definitely stepped up to the challenge in a rematch against James Wood Wednesday night.

Clarke County junior Sarah Herndon tossed a one-hitter and struck out nine and received a big-time assist from center fielder Olivia Gore in a 1-0 non-district victory over the Colonels.

Herndon helped the Eagles (3-1) sweep the season series from the Colonels (1-3), who defeated defending Northwestern District champion Sherando on Tuesday night.

Clarke's non-district schedule features nothing but Group AA opponents, and Grubbs hopes playing up benefits her team once it opens Bull Run District play at home on Tuesday against Madison County.

"These type of games hopefully in the long run are going to help us," said Grubbs, whose team defeated the Colonels 8-4 on Saturday in Berryville. "Playing with pressure, playing with our backs against the wall a little bit and maybe not hitting as well as we'd like to - but the defense came through when it had to."

Herndon and James Wood starting pitcher Kierstyn Peacoe put up zeroes through five innings, but Clarke's defense made an unearned run off Peacoe stand as the difference.

Clarke County led 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth when Peacoe reached on an error and advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt by Rachael Largent.

With two outs, Charlotte Viands singled into center for the Colonels' first, and only, hit off Herndon, and Peacoe tried to score from second.

Gore fielded the ball on one hop and then fired a near-perfect throw to the plate to Eagles catcher Natalie Wright. Peacoe slid in feet first but Wright hauled in Gore's throw on one hop, blocked the plate and made the tag on Peacoe to end the inning and keep the Colonels off the scoreboard.

"At that point I knew [Peacoe] was on second and a base hit you go automatically home," said Gore, who went 2 for 3 with an RBI. "I just tried to stay calm, field it cleanly and go home."

Gore's defensive play and her execution on a squeeze bunt in the top of the sixth are two big reasons why the Eagles headed back to Berryville with their second win over the Colonels in four days.

Eagles leadoff hitter Megan Rion dropped a bunt down the third-base line and reached third on a three-base throwing error to start the sixth. After Herndon was hit by a pitch from Peacoe, Gore dropped a bunt down the third-base line, giving Colonels third baseman Lauren Gates no play on Rion at the plate and Gore beat the throw to first for an infield single.

"Olivia comes up strong there both with the bunt and the rifle from center field," Grubbs said. "I didn't think there was anyway [Olivia] would get [Peacoe] at home, but man, it was a bang-bang play and [Wright] held on to it."

Herndon made it a relatively easy night for Clarke's defense.

After striking out 11 and allowing four hits through six innings against Colonels on Saturday, Herndon mixed both speed and location well throughout the game to keep James Wood hitters off balance. She sent James Wood down in order in four of the seven innings, and recorded at least one strikeout in each.

"I was just trying to move [the ball] around and up and down," said Herndon, the pitcher of record in all four of Clarke's games. "We knew it wouldn't be a walk in the park trying to beat them so we knew we had to play hard."

Grubbs said Herndon delivered a great effort to help the Eagles squeak out a victory.

"She's doing a great job mixing up her pitches, mixing up her speeds and throwing in the changeup," Grubbs said. "I think she's really come into her own this year, and settled in to be our ace. For the most part, she got ahead [in the count] all night and was able to mix and match and just throw her pitch."

The Eagles escaped with the win despite a quality start from Peacoe (1-3), who scattered five hits and struck out three.

Colonels coach Ted McDaniel said Peacoe's location was a little off in Saturday's loss to Clarke, but she delivered a great performance Wednesday.

"She hit her spots pretty well, we played good but we just didn't hit and Herndon had a lot to do with that," McDaniel said. "A 1-0 game - you can't complain. The defense played pretty well and turned a couple double plays so I was happy with all that.

"... We had a chance in [the sixth] and had [Peacoe] called out at home. It was a close play, but it was a good call."

Lexi Call, Kiersten Cochran and Morganne Ottobre all went 1 for 3 for the Eagles.

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