James Wood blanks Millbrook in 4D softball quarterfinals

By MARK SAWYER For The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — Since losing to Liberty on April 16th, the James Wood softball team has been on a mission.

The Colonels entered the Region 4D tournament as the North's top seed after winning 11 of their last 12 games. In their last five wins, the Colonels have outscored their opponents 79-5.

But on Wednesday, James Wood faced another torrid team in a clash with rival Millbrook. The hot-hitting Pioneers sported a five-game winning streak.

Cadence Rieg and the Colonels cooled them off. James Wood eliminated the No. 4 Pioneers with an 8-0 shutout at Ridge Field.

The Colonels (18-3) advance to Friday's semifinals against another Frederick County rival as they host No. 3 Sherando (a 6-0 winner over No. 2 Orange County). The two teams split a pair of regular-season contests.

Rieg tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, and she helped herself with two hits, including a solo homer.

"We talked a lot about being aggressive early and laying it on the line and I thought that's what [Rieg] did," James Wood coach Patrick Gibson said. "I didn't see any nerves in her, she wanted the ball, and she went out and did it.

"That Liberty loss made us refocus and we use that every day. We talk about it all the time. ... The kids just stepped up to the plate tonight. We talked about scoring every inning and tacking on and being the aggressor."

The Colonels, who won the Region 4C title last season, scored in five of their six trips to the plate and amassed 13 hits against a Millbrook squad they defeated twice during the regular season.

"We've been here before but they're not a team we were underestimating at all," Rieg said. "We knew what we had to do — we had to start from the beginning and shut them down quick and that's what helped us win the game."

Millbrook (11-8) actually appeared to take the lead in the first inning. With one out, Allie Simmons rocketed a ball off of the base of the fence in left field for a double.

One out later, Jazmin Orr guided a ground ball through the left side that scored Simmons, but the baserunner was called for interfering with the infielder for the third out of the inning.

The Pioneers never really recovered from that call.

In the bottom of the first, Rieg led off with a solid single to left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brynnen Williams. Aliza Judd (2-for-2, 2 RBIs) scored Reig with a single to center for a 1-0 lead.

Freshman Kati Brannon led off the Colonels' second by drawing a walk and she raced around to score on classmate Sophia Gerald's double in the left-center field alley to make it 2-0.

The Colonels added two more runs in the third. Williams (2-for-3, 2 runs, double) singled to lead off the inning and moved to second when Judd walked. Skyla Compton (3-for-4) loaded the bases with an infield single. One out later, Brannon walked to force in a run and Gerald drove in another with a groundout to make it 4-0.

After Simmons' double, Rieg retired eight straight, but the Pioneers threatened in the fourth. Simmons singled to lead off the inning, but was erased on a beautifully turned double play by the Colonels.

Orr restarted the inning with a single to center. Alexis McFarland then walked but Rieg was able to retire the side with a comebacker to end the threat.

"I just tried to keep the ball on the corners. I didn't want to throw it down the middle," Rieg said of her plan against the Pioneers. "I really rely on my defense, I know I've got a good squad behind me and I allowed them to hit it to my defense."

The Colonels added another run in the fourth. With two outs Williams and Judd laced back-to-back doubles to make the score 5-0.

The Pioneers threatened once more in the sixth. Kaylen Giza walked to lead off the inning, ending Rieg's night in the circle. Gerald came on and retired the next two hitters, but Orr picked up her second hit to put runners on the corners. Gerald preserved the shutout by getting a pop-up.

Rieg might have taken what little wind was left in the Millbrook sails away when she led off the sixth by drilling a homer to dead center.

"I just needed to get a hit, we were scoring a run every inning and I just wanted to keep it that way," Rieg said. "I wanted to keep the momentum up because you never know, if you let off the gas they can come back. I was just thinking get a hit and keep it going."

With one out, Judd was plunked and Compton's third hit of the game chased courtesy runner Kyleigh Bly home. One out later, Brannon (2-for-2, 2 RBIs) singled to make it 8-0.

Millbrook didn't go quietly in the seventh. Lexi Edwards led off with a single and an out later Ciara Major singled to put runners on first and second, but Gerald retired the next two hitters to end the game.

The Colonels now will tackle Sherando, who they defeated last season in the Region 4C semifinals.

"I'm just going to go in like it's any other team. It's easy to get nervous against them because it's such a big rivalry," Rieg said of the matchup Friday with the Warriors. "I'm just gonna fight away the nerves and go out like they're any other team and play my game. They'll play theirs and we'll see what happens."

"We heard there in the seventh inning that Sherando had won," Gibson said. "That's what it's all about. That's who we want to play and they want to play us. Can't beat it. It's going to be a great clash, a great game like it always is and we'll see who gets it done. Whoever executes will win the game.

"They've got a good squad over there. It's going to be a battle. It's coming down to two good teams and one of us is going to be going to states."