James Wood softball falls to Hawks

May 11, 2012
By Kevin Trudgeon

WINCHESTER — It may not have been the result it was looking for, but the James Wood softball team certainly found something it could build off of Thursday evening.

Hosting first-place Skyline in their final home game of the regular season, the Colonels played like the team that beat the Hawks in their first meeting — instead of the one that was mercy-ruled (12-0) the second time around.

James Wood (7-12, 6-5 Northwestern District) rallied from a four-run deficit and was a hit away from tying the game in the sixth inning.

That hit never came as the Colonels eventually lost 5-3, but that did little to dampen their spirits considering what they went through just 24 hours earlier.

“I’m really proud of the way we played tonight, especially after the heartbreaking loss we had to Millbrook [Wednesday],” said James Wood coach Ted McDaniel, referring to the Colonels’ 8-7 loss to the Pioneers in which they committed three errors in the seventh inning and squandered a two-run lead.

“For us to bounce back like that, and play like we did tonight, that showed the kind of heart that they had. I questioned their heart [Wednesday], but they showed me howt much heart they have with this game.”

James Wood was far from perfect on Thursday, committing four errors and totaling just one hit off Skyline ace Sarah Beamer, but instead of folding when the going got tough, the Colonels continued to fight on a night they honored seniors Morgan Sykes, Megan Christian, Amanda Higgins and Anne Zerull before the game.

Skyline (12-6, 9-1) got off to a quick start when shortstop Taylor Henry blasted a two-run, opposite-field home run in the top of the first inning.

The Hawks would add runs in the third and the fourth, and with Beamer (seven innings, eight strikeouts, two walks) going 1-2-3 through the first three innings, it looked as though it was going to be another long day on the diamond for the Colonels.

But James Wood managed to scratch across a run in the fourth thanks to two Skyline errors and a single off the bat of junior Rachel Largent, and, despite finding herself in bases-loaded jams in three separate innings, Colonel sophomore pitcher Kierstyn Peacoe kept her team in the game.

Peacoe allowed eight hits and five walks in the game, and committed two errors of her own, but was able to limit the damage each time she got into trouble.

“I thought she pitched really well,” McDaniel said. “She was kind of doubting herself a little bit after [Wednesday] night, but she came back and pitched really well.”

Skyline made it 5-1 in the sixth inning when Henry drove in her fourth run of the game with an RBI single to left, but James Wood answered right back.

Playing in only her second game since having to get her appendix removed, Sykes led off the home half of the sixth with a walk and catcher Hayley Whitacre followed with a bunt that Beamer could not handle, putting runners at first and second with no outs.

Peacoe then drew a walk to load the bases and, after Largent struck out, junior Charlotte Viands hit a grounder to short that looked like a potential inning-ending double play.

Henry charged the ball and went home with it, beating Sykes by three steps, but Skyline catcher Tara Robinson was ruled to not have her foot on home plate and everyone was safe.

Sophomore Whitney Dick then dropped a bunt down the third-base line and Whitacre eluded the tag of Skyline’s Sabrie Neeb to score and cut the deficit to 5-3.

With the tying run on second, Beamer quieted the James Wood crowd with back-to-back strike outs to get out of the jam and then turned in a 1-2-3 seventh inning to seal the victory.

James Wood closes out the regular season at Handley on Monday.

“Our mission now is we’ve got to beat Handley,” McDaniel said. “I think the way the district shakes out, if we beat Handley and Skyline beats Sherando then we have second place, so that’s our mission.

“Everyone is pretty upbeat right now, we’re looking forward to having a good practice [today] and coming out on Monday and playing Handley. We’re ready.”

— Contact Kevin Trudgeon This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.