James Wood rolls to softball win over Millbrook

WINCHESTER — James Wood’s Caitlyn Shutts rounded third base with a smile that looked as wide as the bag.

That’s the kind of joy you have when you belt your first career varsity home run against a big rival.

Shutts’ blast, a three-run shot, capped a four-run top of the first and Laken Whipkey made that margin hold with a one-hitter as the Colonels thumped Millbrook 12-2 in a Class 4 Northwestern District softball contest halted by the mercy rule after five innings.

Shutts had three hits, scored three times and drove in five, while Izzy McKee homered and drove in four as James Wood (6-6, 5-2) swept the regular-season series against the Pioneers (7-6, 3-4) and bounced back from a 14-6 loss against Liberty on Wednesday.

“The quick start is something that we have struggled with this year,” James Wood coach Todd Baker said. “We’ve been down seven, eight and nine runs and have come back and won games. We’ve really struggled starting off games and today we got it done. … Today we played a complete game.”

The two teams combined for 10 home runs in their first meeting, won 20-9 by the Colonels. For an inning, James Wood picked up where that one ended.

Leading off, McKee fell behind Emily Jeffries 0-2 before belting a towering drive over the center-field fence.

“I couldn’t be too picky,” McKee said of falling behind. “You have to have the right mental mindset. I was just thinking hit it hard no matter what. If you hit it hard and it falls, then that’s good. As long as you hit it hard and give 110 percent, that’s all you can do.”

The Colonels weren’t done in the inning. With two outs, Sydney Orndorff was hit by a pitch and Whipkey drew a walk to bring up Shutts. The senior took a 1-0 pitch deep over the left-center field fence to make it 4-0.

“I was definitely trying to be patient because there was some stuff up high, but the one that I hit was right there for me,” Shutts said. “… That felt so good. That was my first high school home run. I had a feeling it was gone.”

She rounded the bases with such joy as she gave Baker a high-five and was greeted by her teammates at the plate. Shutts said there was even extra motivation to hit well on Thursday.

“I’ve definitely been in a slump and today I actually played against my cousin [Allie Simmons], so it’s like a rivalry for our family,” she said. “I hit well off of them last time, so I went up there confident, swung and it worked.”

Baker said Shutts had shown hints of breaking out before Thursday’s contest. “She started out a little slow but she has been making really good contact in practice,” Baker said. “I knew it was just a matter of time. She’s a great hitter and a great kid.”

Whipkey, who has pitched sparingly this season, gave an indication how her day would go in the first inning. She retired the Pioneers on just three pitches, with each batter struggling on timing her off-speed pitches.

Whipkey would retire the first nine batters she faced and would finish with two strikeouts and three walks.

“I trusted my defense so much,” the senior said. “I just threw strikes. I knew they were going to get them out if they hit it. It was just keeping the ball low and my defense.”

Whipkey made just one real mistake, missing on a pitch against the Pioneers’ Alexis McFarland, who belted a bomb down the left-field line for a two-run homer, the only hit the Pioneers would get. McFarland now leads the area with eight homers and 28 RBIs.

“It was just a little miss, a couple of inches,” Whipkey said. “This is a game of inches. It’s crazy.”

Baker was proud of Whipkey’s efforts. “She has really good movement and she hits her spots,” Baker said. “You can go off the plate or on the plate. Wherever you call, she normally hits her spots. She didn’t one time tonight and you see what happens. She has to hit her spots. She’s a pitch-to-contact type of pitcher and we have to play defense behind her.”

Whipkey had plenty of wiggle room at that point because she and her teammates had built a 10-0 lead after three innings.

With two outs and Cadence Rieg (walk) and Sadie Kittoe (single) at first and second in the third inning, Shutts popped a fly ball into right field field that fell untouched between three fielders and both baserunners steamed around to score. After Ellie Johnson walked, Skyla Compton and Aliza Judd followed with RBI singles to make it 8-0. McKee then greeted reliever Paige Flinchum with a two-run single up the middle to make it 10-0.

“It really gets your energy up,” McKee said of the big early lead. “When everybody is up and hyped, you always play to your best ability.”

After the Pioneers scored in the fourth, the Colonels put the mercy rule back into effect with two runs in the fifth. Judd’s bases-loaded walk plated Shutts, who singled to lead off the inning, and McKee’s sacrifice fly drove in Johnson, who also had singled.

Whipkey walked two batters in the bottom of the inning, but got the final two outs to end it, the last on a comebacker to the circle.

Pioneers coach Carolyn Campbell was disappointed with her team’s play.

“That was not Millbrook softball,” she said. “That game wasn’t us and hasn’t been us all season. We’re forgetting it and flushing it. Everybody knows what we need to do better and we’re going to work on it and come back. We might see them again.”

And in a district where it seems like six teams have a shot to take the postseason tournament, that just might happen.

“This [district] is crazy right now,” McKee said. “You’ve got to win when you can.”

“Every time I learn the scores or look at the paper and see the scores I’m a little bit shocked that nobody is really running away with it,” said Baker, whose team trails Liberty (5-1) in the standings. “You’ve got to win all that you can.”

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