Softball vs. Sherando

Posted: March 23, 2013
By MARK SAWYER
Special to The Winchester Star

STEPHENS CITY — Hoping to make a return trip and a deeper run in the Region II tournament, the Sherando High School softball team has picked up right where it left off last season.

On a cold, blustery night better suited for football, Sherando senior pitcher Courtney Reid and four of her classmates opened the home portion of their schedule in style with an important early-season victory.

Reid fired a complete-game four-hitter and hit a two-run home run, leading the Warriors to a 5-1 victory over Northwestern District rival James Wood Friday night at Sherando Park.

“Our bats took a little while to get going but we made some adjustments later in the game,” Sherando coach Clarence Smith said. “I think we put pressure on in every inning but finally we got to them toward the end of the game. Our offense is coming along — it’s doing pretty well. I can’t complain there. and [we had] an all-around good game defensively.”

James Wood (0-2, 0-1 Northwestern) looked as if it was going to get to Reid early. Two first-inning errors by the Warriors and a Taylor Rizzari single loaded the bases for the Colonels after just three batters.

However, Reid got the next hitter to ground into a double play, which allowed an unearned run to score, but she was able to end the threat by getting the next hitter to strike out.

The Colonels threatened again in the second inning. A pair of one-out singles by Laura Gates and McKenzie Garrett followed by a perfect sacrifice bunt by Hayley Whitacre put two more in scoring position. But Reid was again able to escape damage by getting the next hitter to fly out, ending the inning.

From then on, Reid was nearly perfect. She allowed only two more runners to reach base the rest of the way, retiring 15 of the last 17 she faced.

Reid (2-0) scattered four hits, allowed one unearned run, didn’t walk any, hit one and struck out three.

Sherando (2-0, 1-0) on the other hand had runners all over the base paths all night long. The Warriors had at least two runners reach base in every inning, but were unable to push across any runs off of Colonels pitcher Kierstyn Peacoe until the third inning.

Senior Katie Seymour started the third by drawing a walk and Reid followed with a bloop single to shallow left. Sophomore Heidi Brown then ripped a single to left-center, scoring Seymour to tie the game, 1-1.

Another senior, catcher Haley Miles, was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. One out later, sophomore Allison Bauer ripped a single, scoring both Brown and courtesy runner Lauren Ritter, for a 3-1 lead.

Reid helped herself out by adding a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out Seymour singled, her third of the game. and then Reid came up big, blasting a shot to left-center for a two-run home run and a 5-1 lead.

Though they were unable to capitalize the Colonels had five runners on base, four in scoring position in the first two innings, but couldn’t get a key hit.

“That was the difference in the game — they took advantage of their chances and we didn’t,” James Wood coach Ted McDaniel said. “Sherando got some timely hits. Overall I was pretty pleased with the way we hit the ball. We swung the bat pretty good, we just have to be a little more patient. I think we’ll be fine. I was happy with the defense — it just came down to not getting the timely hit.

“Overall, I was satisfied with our effort. Don’t like losing, but it happens.”

Sherando out-hit the Colonels 13-4, with four players getting multiple hits. Seymour and Bauer each had three, while Brown and Reid collected two each. Reid and Bauer drove in two runs apiece, and Brown added one. Rizzari, Shipman, Gates, and Garrett had the four James Wood hits.