Skyline Jumps All Over Wood

Posted: April 11, 2014
By GREG BRILL
Special to The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — Skyline softball coach Frank Nelson will lead you to believe that his lineup is still a work in progress.

But after another heavy-hitting assault on Thursday night — this one a 15-5 run-rule win over James Wood — it still looks like the Hawks are the team to beat in the Northwestern District.

“We’ve been so fortunate,” said Nelson. “[From] two years ago we lost Taylor [Henry, now playing at Georgetown] and we lost Sabrie [Neeb, now playing at St. Francis of Pennsylvania], and [from] last year we lost Sarah [Beamer, now playing at Virginia-Wise], but we have people that step up every year.

“We’re still trying to find an identity and we’re still trying to find out who we are as a team. We have kids that have played together but we [also] have new kids that are thinking, ‘Where do I fit in?’ Once we figure that out I think we’ll give folks a run for their money.”

After three games within the Northwestern, the Hawks have put up offensive numbers that would look pretty good after six district games.

Skyline (5-2, 3-0) opened up with a 26-0 win against Handley, topped Sherando 12-8 earlier this week, and scored eight runs against James Wood before the Colonels came to bat for the first time.

“We try to keep our heads held high and focus on the game that we’re in,” said sophomore shortstop Makaela Dawkins, who homered twice and drove in six runs in the Skyline win. “Once that game is over, then we worry about the next one. We get Millbrook next week and we’re looking forward to it. It should be a good game.”

Injuries have slowed James Wood ace pitcher Kierstyn Peacoe, and the senior struggled from the get-go against the Hawks and was lifted after getting just one out in the first inning.

The first nine pitches thrown by Peacoe went for balls, and three-hole hitter Dawkins began the huge night for herself at the plate with a double to drive in the game’s first run.

With runners at second and third, Peacoe froze after fielding Tori Jo Brown’s sharp comebacker and waited too late to get the out at first, loading the bases.

After a bases-loaded walk forced in a run, Peacoe got an out when Skyline freshman Jessica Sims bunted foul with two strikes. Briana Colton then pulled a pitch deep to right for a two-run double, and after Jordan Cameron drove in a run with her single to left to make it 5-0, Peacoe was replaced in the circle with junior Taylor Rizzari.

In only a third of an inning, Peacoe made 29 pitches, walked three, gave up four hits, and would be charged with six earned runs.

“We’ve just got to figure out a way to stop these other teams,” said James Wood coach Ted McDaniel. “Kierstyn didn’t have her good stuff [Thursday], but she’s been battling some arm injuries and other things.”

The Hawks continued to get on base as Rizzari issued a walk to nine-hole hitter Carrie Robinson. Back at the top, Hannah Ritter delivered an RBI single to left, and two more runs came across when the ball got by Haley Whitacre, who had just moved to left field from second base with the pitching change, for an error.

The next two batters were retired, but Skyline opened with an eight-run inning, getting five hits and drawing four walks.

“I preach to the kids to be patient,” said Nelson. “I mean, how many times have you seen somebody jump on the first pitch and pop it up? I tell the girls, ‘You’ve got six pitches. Use them. Make the pitcher throw and good things will happen.’ They probably get tired of me preaching that, but it can work.”

One of the players who seems to be buying into her coach’s advice is Dawkins. When she has gotten pitches to drive, Dawkins has shown the ability to hit for power.

With the score still 8-0 and the bases loaded in the third, Dawkins pulled a fly down the left-field line that the wind appeared to be carrying foul. But the rip stayed just fair inside the foul poll and gave Dawkins a grand-slam and made it 12-0.

“I was trotting down the first-base line and kind of watching it because I thought it was going to go foul,” said Dawkins. “Then when I a saw it go fair, I was like, ‘OK.’”

When she came up again in the fifth, Dawkins led off with a solo blast just over the left-center field fence off James Wood’s third pitcher, sophomore Sara Garris, for her third homer of the early season.

“Dawkins is learning to be patient and waiting for [her] pitch to come,” said Nelson. “I’ll tell you what, I couldn’t be more proud of the girl.”

The Hawks finished up with a 14-hit attack. Ritter, who pitched a complete game in the circle (five innings, 10 hits allowed, four earned runs, one walk, six strikeouts), went 3 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored, Dawkins was 3 for 4 with six RBIs and three runs scored, and Brown was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

The Colonels (2-6, 1-3) hung in after getting carved up early, and swung the bats well against Ritter and the Hawks.

In the third, James Wood batted around and scored four runs. Whitney Dick (2 for 3 with two RBIs) singled up the middle to drive in the first run and a sacrifice bunt by Courtney Harper drove in another.

The big rip in the inning came from Rizzari (2 for 3 with two RBIs) with her double to the gap in right-center field to cut the deficit to 12-4.

Dick drove in freshman Alyssa Brown (2 for 3 with two runs scored) with her single the next inning, but Ritter set the Colonels down in order in the fifth to end the game on the 10-run rule.

“I keep telling the girls that if we keep fighting, one game at a time, that we’re going to try and improve and that we’ll try to make the second half of the season ours,” said McDaniel. “I really like how the team did not give up out here [Thursday]. They fought hard. I’m really proud of them. It’s easy to give up when you get down like that [early].”