James Wood belts Sherando to win district softball crown

WINCHESTER — It seems almost like divine intervention that Sherando and James Wood would play for the Class 4 Northwestern District softball title on Wednesday.

In a little more than a week, the contest had been postponed three times by rain.

And thanks to Tuesday’s results, the two rivals entered Wednesday’s showdown tied for first place in the district standings with 9-2 records.

With the rain gone Wednesday, it was time for the Colonels to shine.

Rebecca Boone belted a grand slam in the first inning and Ivy Rosenberry tossed a six-hitter as James Wood rolled to an 8-2 triumph over the Warriors at Ridge Field.

Hannah Davis and Mackenzie McCarty also belted home runs for James Wood (15-4, 10-2 district), which clinched the top seed and a bye in the opening round of the district tournament which begins Friday. The Colonels also secured a Region 4C berth. The Warriors (12-8) dropped into a tie for second with Fauquier (17-3) at 9-3 in the district.

It seemed appropriate that the two rivals, notorious for playing tight games would battle for the title and the weather made sure it would happen.

“There was a purpose,” said Boone, who finished with five RBIs. “God had a reason to keep pushing it back and we ended up coming back and winning.”

“I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way and I’m sure that those folks over there wouldn’t have wanted it any other way either,” said Colonels coach Todd Baker, whose team won its seventh straight. “This is a great rivalry. They got us up at Sherando in the first game and we won here. We typically split these things. Hats off to them. They’re really well coached, but we’ve come on strong the last few weeks.”

The contest hardly resembled the season’s first meeting, which the Warriors won 3-1 on Ashton Clark’s two-run, walk-off homer in the eighth.

It was the Colonels delivering the power this time, and early.

With one out in the bottom of the first, Rosenberry grounded a hard single up the middle. Afton Sykes hit Lauren Smith’s next pitch into the gap in left-center to put runners at second and third. Jenna Burkhamer overcame a 1-2 count to draw a walk to load the bases.

That brought up Boone, who had been struggling at the plate until going 5-for-7 over two games heading into the contest. On a 1-0 pitch, she belted a drive that easily cleared the fence in dead-center field for her first home run of the season.

“I was just trying to hit a line drive,” Boone said. “I wasn’t worried about hitting home runs.”

“I think the last three or four games she has been one of our hottest hitters,” Baker said of the senior catcher. “When the bases were loaded and she came up ... I liked our chances when she was up in that situation.

“She has been hitting deep fly balls all year long,” Baker added. “She has been not quite getting them, a little bit of bad luck. You know how it goes. Now they are starting to fall for her.”

The Colonels weren’t done. Davis hit Smith’s next pitch for a towering drive over the right-center field fence for another homer and a quick 5-0 lead.

“It’s a credit to James Wood,” Sherando coach Clarence Smith said of the Colonels’ big inning. “It seemed like when we were making good pitches they were laying off of them and then anytime they got a pitch they could reach they were squaring it up.”

That big lead was a welcome relief for the Colonels.

“For a team that prides itself on defense and pitching when you get five in the first you feel pretty good about your chances at that point,” Baker said. “They’re a great offensive team, well-coached and a great bunch of athletes over there, but you still like your chances with Ivy on the mound and our defense behind her.”

Rosenberry was happy to see the big lead.

“It was such a safety,” she said. “We could take a little breath because we definitely always start a little tense in the first inning.”

Rosenberry stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings.

She did her best work in the fifth. Sherando scored a run as Emma Chunta singled, moved to second and scored on an error. With runners on second and third with one out, Rosenberry got tough. She struck out Brooke Moses and Smith, the Warriors’ No. 3 and 4 hitters who possess a ton of power, looking to get out of the jam.

“We a had a couple of opportunities to make the game really interesting, particularly when we had second and third with one out,” Smith said. “To Ivy’s credit, she hit her spots and had our hitters guessing at something that didn’t come.”

The Colonels got the run back and one more in the bottom of the inning. After three consecutive singles by Rosenberry, Sykes and Burkhamer (a drive off the fence in right), Boone hit a deep fly to left that scored a run. Another came home on a wild pitch.

The Warriors got another in the sixth as Veronika Lord reached on an infield hit and raced home on Sarah Rhinehardt’s double to right-center.

The Colonels once again bounced right back as McCarty, the No. 8 hitter in the lineup, launched a bomb over the fence in left. McCarty, Rosenberry, Sykes and Davis each finished with two hits apiece.

The Warriors would get two more baserunners in the seventh, but once again Rosenberry stranded them by getting a groundout to end the contest.

Rosenberry, who tossed a one-hitter against Fauquier in a 4-1 win on Tuesday, admitted she did not have her best stuff, though she struck out 11.

“It sure wasn’t quite as good as the first time, but I definitely felt good tonight,” the junior right-hander said. “We got a couple of really key pitches and good plays. Our defense has been on fire lately and man, three home runs tonight, that’s awesome.”

The Colonels, who made a miraculous comeback in the district tournament last year to edge the Warriors and get a regional berth, have their spot sewn up this time.

“It’s so good to know that we have our berth to regions,” Rosenberry said. “We’re ready to keep on going and get to states this year.”

“Winning it and knowing that you’re there, that’s a great feeling,” Baker said.

The Warriors, who got two hits from Lord and Moses, are looking to rebound after missing a chance to win the district crown with losses to Kettle Run (9-2) and Wood in the final two games.

Smith, whose team had 12 days off between games, blamed himself for the poor play and will work hard in a short time to get the Warriors ready for a playoff opener on Friday.

Sherando must win at least two games to secure a regional spot.

“I’ve got to figure out a way to get these girls in a position to succeed and we have a day to do that,” Smith said. “... We’re not good enough to walk into a field and just count the ‘W.’ We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

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