James Wood avenges softball loss against Sherando

WINCHESTER — Both the James Wood and Sherando softball teams made their share of mistakes on Wednesday in Class 4 Northwestern District matchup that had some regional playoff implications attached.

With both team’s pitchers on point, the difference between the two squads amounted to which one capitalized on those errors.

Chalk that one up in favor of the Colonels.

James Wood scored a pair of unearned runs and those tallies were the only ones to cross the plate in a 2-0 triumph against the Warriors.

Cadence Rieg tossed five shutout innings and Sophia Gerald pitched two scoreless frames in relief as the Colonels (12-2, 4-2 Class 4 Northwestern District) were able to avenge a 5-2 loss earlier in the season against Sherando (12-3, 4-1) and standout pitcher Lily Wray.

The victory moved James Wood into a tie with Orange County (12-2) for the top spot in Region 4D North as the regional playoffs loom.

“This is such a tense game for everybody,” said Rieg of the friendly rivalry, which has often featured late-inning heroics over the years. “Both sides just want to beat each other so bad. They are a good team. Being able to beat a good team was really big.”

“What a pitcher’s duel and what entertaining softball,” said James Wood coach Patrick Gibson. “We had a big crowd out tonight. If I paid to get into this game and I didn’t know anybody from either team, I would have been really entertained. That’s what you want ultimately in this area.”

Sherando coach Mark Conner said the difference was simple.

“Our defense didn’t play well tonight,” Conner said. “James Wood capitalized on our mistakes. All of the runs were unearned. We had the opportunities to do the same offensively. We just couldn’t get it done.”

The first inning was kind of a microcosm of how things went offensively for the Warriors, who outhit the Colonels 6-4. A hit and two James Wood errors loaded the bases with two outs, but Rieg was able to get out of the jam by getting a groundout.

“That was really big,” said Rieg of keeping the Warriors off the scoreboard. “That could be make or break it right there in the first few innings of the game. I try to see it as any other situation and just know that I have it and I have the ability to do it.”

“It was huge on Cadence’s part to put the errors behind her and pick up her teammates and get it done,” Gibson said. “That’s what we preach — stay out of big innings and that’s what she did.”

While the Colonels did commit four errors in the contest, they made a couple of outstanding defensive plays to keep the game scoreless. Both came in the third inning.

First, Sherando’s Abby Vadnais drilled a ball down the left field line and looked to stretch a double into a triple. Left fielder Gerald fired a perfect relay throw to shortstop Brynnen Williams, who wheeled and fired a strike to third baseman Molly Maynard to get the speedy Warrior.

“It was a bang-bang play,” Conner said. “They executed the relay really well. They had to make a perfect throw which is what they did.”

After Kayla Grum reached on an error, Makayla Williams smoked a liner that looked ticketed for the right field corner, but James Wood first baseman Jenna Shull speared it and then stepped on the bag for a double play.

Wray held the Colonels to two singles throughout the first three innings until the defense made two miscues in the fourth. With one out, Skyla Compton lifted a high fly to left that was dropped for a two-base error. After another out, Kati Brannon hit another sky-high popup just beyond the infield that was dropped for another error as Compton easily scored.

“It was a big relief that we scratched first, especially in the way it happened,” Rieg said. “That really puts a team down. We always want momentum on our side.”

The Warriors had two runners on in the next inning, but Rieg fielded a hot grounder and threw to first for the final out. She allowed three hits while striking out six without a walk.

The Colonels tacked on an insurance run in the fifth. With two outs, Rieg and Brynnen Williams hit back-to-back singles. Aliza Judd then hit a grounder that glanced off the fielder behind the second base bag. When the Warriors had trouble picking it up, Rieg raced in to score. Only an outstanding diving catch by center fielder Vadnais prevented further damage.

“Lily did enough to win tonight,” said Conner of his starter, who struck out six and did not walk a batter. “We just didn’t support her.”

The Warriors did have another shot against Gerald, who relieved in the sixth. A single by Leighanne Lowe, a walk to Santanna Puller and a line single up the middle by Anna Borst loaded the bases with two outs. Gerald rebounded by getting a strikeout to end the threat.

Vadnais doubled for her third hit of game with one out in the seventh, but Gerald got the last two outs, one on a fine catch by catcher Judd against the back screen on a foul pop-up.

“We didn’t have a very good approach tonight at the plate,” Conner said. “We weren’t patient. We looked at some third strikes. Our players know better than that. They are better hitters than that, but tonight … hat’s off to their pitcher Cadence and the Gerald girl came in and did a good job.”

Gerald has been closing games for the Colonels down the stretch of the season and the freshman right-hander has been successful.

“That’s been really nice this year,” said Rieg of Gerald’s closing abilities. “We have someone who is completely different than Jenna [Shull] and I. Jenna and I both throw hard and have spin. Sophia is kind of like an offset of everything and that’s calming that she can come in and I don’t have to worry about [it].”

Gibson said that his two senior starters (Rieg and Shull) and freshman starter Kati Brannon are benefiting from the arrangement.

“Our formula the rest of the year is that we are going to start one of the three and Sophia is going to come in and close the door,” he said. “They know that coming into the game so they know their role.”

Conner, whose team next faces Warren County on Tuesday, doesn’t expect the loss to linger. “The good news is the season is not over yet,” he said. “We just go back to work tomorrow. … We just need to be a little bit mentally tougher in our approach. Tonight, we didn’t have it all there. If we can get that dialed back in, I think we’ll be OK for the rest of the season and the playoffs.”

James Wood was back in action Thursday with a home matchup against Kettle Run. Rieg, who had two hits off the tough Wray, hopes the Colonels can build on topping the Warriors.

“It does a lot for our future position,” she said. “But to just come together as a team and beat a tough team like Sherando, that’s always just a big game. It was really competitive, but we’re all friends on the other side. To come out and get a good team win that puts us in a better future position was really big.”

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