Softball: Loudoun County 3, James Wood 1

Posted: May 28, 2013
By ROBERT STOCKS
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — Loudoun County softball coach Richard Sullivan said he challenged senior pitcher Kiley Jacobus to get 10 strikeouts in Monday’s Region II first-round playoff game against James Wood.

The Raiders senior told Sullivan she could do better than that, and Jacobus definitely lived up to her end of the deal.

She allowed just five hits and struck out 14, leading Loudoun County to a 3-1 victory over the Colonels in front of a large crowd at James Wood High School’s softball field.

“[Coach] just said ‘I want 10 strikeouts from you to go All-Met’” Jacobus said. “He said, ‘If you have a good game you can get nominated for All-Met,’ and I said, ‘OK, I’ll get you 12 [strikeouts] instead’ — and I got 14.”

With the win, Loudoun County (17-6) advances to the regional quarterfinals tonight against Woodgrove (18-2).

The Raiders never trailed against James Wood (9-13), scoring in the first inning after a throwing error by the Colonels.

Courtney Amos led off with bloop single beyond short to start the game, and advanced to second after a hard single down the third-base line by Sierra Jackson, who went 2 for 4 to lead the Raiders.

Amos then attempted to steal third and Wood catcher Jessy Shipman’s throw got by third baseman Laura Gates, allowing Amos to score.

Jacobus (11-6) dominated throughout much of the game, striking out at least two Colonels in every inning but the first.

James Wood threatened with runners in scoring position in both the third and fourth innings, but the Colonels came away empty both times against Jacobus.

In the third, Jacobus walked McKenzie Garrett and Shipman (her only two walks in the game), but retired Rachael Largent on a sac bunt for the second out.

With runners on second and third, Jacobus struck out Kierstyn Peacoe to end the inning.

In the fourth, Taylor Rizzari singled back through the middle but Jacobus struck out James Wood’s Whitney Dick on a changeup for the second out.

After the Colonels’ Hayley Whitacre reached on an error, James Wood had runners on second and third with two outs but Jacobus caught Garrett looking at a called third strike to end the inning.

“We had chances with [runners] at second and third twice and we had the hitters up there that we wanted, but we just couldn’t get the runs home,” James Wood coach Ted McDaniel said. “Some things just aren’t meant to be and my hat’s off to Loudoun County. We beat them earlier in the year, but this team tonight was a lot better than what we beat earlier. They were strong defensively.”

Loudoun County’s defense made almost all of the plays Monday night (with just one error) after committing six behind Jacobus in the Colonels’ 10-8 win over the Raiders on April 3.

Jacobus really kept the Colonels off balance in Monday’s rematch, mixing her pitches well with an overpowering fastball, a changeup and a breaking ball. She had a 1-0 lead to work with early, and then the Raiders added another unearned run in the top of the sixth.

Brittney Platt reached on an error and advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt by Jacobus. After Becca Tatara reached on an error, Platt scored on Kayleigh Kent’s sac fly to deep center.

The Raiders added another insurance run in the top of the seventh when sophomore Saige McGovern led off the inning with a solo home run to left off Peacoe, extending Loudoun County’s lead to 3-0 going into the bottom of the seventh.

Down to their final three outs, the Colonels made it interesting. Whitacre led off the inning by crushing Jacobus’ offering deep into the gap in right-center. Whitacre’s hit short-hopped the wall and Amos, sprinting from center field, fell into the chain-link fence and collapsed to the ground. Whitacre rounded the bases for the inside-the-park home run and Amos was down on the field for nearly 10 minutes.

After being attended to by a trainer and coaches from both teams, Amos — who hit her head on the fence post according to McDaniel — stayed in the game.

Following the delay after Whitacre’s homer, Jacobus went back to work, getting Garrett to ground out after a bunt attempt and then striking out Gates.

With two outs, Shipman (2 for 4) blasted a double high off the fence in right-center (just missing a home run by a foot), bringing the tying run to the plate in Largent.

After falling behind Jacobus with a 1-2 count, Largent struck out to end the game.

McDaniel said his team just could not get the timely hits when it needed to against Jacobus.

“Jacobus — give her all the credit in the world,” McDaniel said. “She was dead on. That was the best pitching performance we’ve faced this year. We’ve been shut out before but nobody kept us off balance [like she did].”

Peacoe (8-8) matched Jacobus throughout much of the game, allowing just four hits and three runs (one earned). She struck out seven and walked one.

“It’s a terrible feeling but we gave them a good run,” said Peacoe, who allowed one less hit than Jacobus, but the Colonels made four errors. “We gave them a run for their money.

“We fought until the end. It shows a lot about us. They have a great pitcher and she’s amazing. I’m mad at myself because I struck out with two runners in scoring position [to end the third]. One base hit and we score at least one run and that’s the difference there. That changes the whole momentum, and we could have been right there with them.”

The Colonels overcame an 0-3 start to the season and played their best toward at the end of the year, shutting out both No. 2 Sherando 4-0 and then Northwestern District regular-season champion Skyline 7-0 in the tournament final.

“We came from being third place in the district to knocking out Sherando, who had beaten us three times previously, and then knocking off Skyline, who had beaten us two times previously,” Peacoe said. “It showed in the end that we were gelling as a team. I can’t wait until next year.”

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