PURCELLVILLE — The deepest postseason run in James Wood softball history concluded on Friday in the Class 4 state semifinals at Woodgrove High School.
The Colonels fell to Gloucester 6-2 to finish their season 21-4. The 18-8 Dukes ended James Wood’s seven-game winning streak and advanced to Saturday’s state championship game against Tuscarora.
Senior Brynnen Williams batted 3 for 4 in her final high school game to lead James Wood. The former Winchester Star Player of the Year was left in scoring position twice in the game.
The Colonels were without second baseman Kati Brannon, who sported crutches during lineup introductions. James Wood coach Patrick Gibson said Brannon had surgery to repair an injury on Thursday, which had been scheduled a long time ago. Brannon would have had to wait until October for the surgery if it wasn’t done Thursday.
After James Wood scored its fewest runs since a 6-2 loss to Sherando on March 19, Gibson said he was honest with his players postgame.
“Honestly, I told them we didn’t play well enough to win the game,” Gibson said. “The last four games, we played a ton better than that. For whatever reason, we didn’t do the little things today. We didn’t hit the cuts, we misjudged some fly balls, a lot of stuff in there. We kept it close enough. We got back in it at 3-1, and then we allowed them to get three more runs. When you get to this point, you’ve got to go out and execute, and we did not do that today.”
Although Gibson didn’t sugarcoat things, he also credited his team for getting over the hump and winning a state quarterfinal game. The Colonels defeated Woodgrove 15-8 on Tuesday.
Gibson said Williams and fellow seniors Kayleigh Harden and Aubrey Nail have left a lasting impact on the program.
“They set the standard for James Wood softball,” Gibson said. “They’ve been to states in three of their four years here, and just missed the first one by an extra-inning game. They got over the hump. This team won a state game and got us here, and their legacy is cemented here at James Wood.”
Gloucester started the scoring with a three-run top of the fourth. It added another three runs in the fifth to go up 6-1.
Dukes’ pitcher Autumn Cookson pitched a complete game, striking out six batters while allowing a walk, six hits and two earned runs. The Colonels’ Sophia Gerald started in the circle, but exited after Gloucester started heating up.
Gloucester’s Hannah Horsley led off the top of the fourth with a double and advanced to third on a Winnie Carlton sacrifice bunt. Alexis Dishman then dug in and hit an RBI single to right field, scoring Horsley to go up 1-0.
Dishman tried advancing to second on her hit but was called out at second. The Dukes quickly rebounded after Kyndall Sales hit an RBI triple to score Addison Keister, who walked an at-bat prior.
With Gloucester now up 2-0, James Wood put freshman Molly Maynard in at pitcher. Gerald finished with four strikeouts, two walks, four hits and two runs (one earned) in 3.2 innings.
After Harper Hardaway walked, Cookson came up to the plate. After one pitch, Hardaway stole second and James Wood juggled the ball on the throw, allowing Sales to steal home to make it 3-0. Cookson popped out to end the frame.
James Wood fought back in the bottom of the fourth. After Marleigh Dehaven singled, the Dukes’ center fielder couldn’t make a diving catch near the fence on a fly ball by Reece Madagan. Dehaven scored on Madagan’s RBI double, but Cookson soon tallied her fourth strikeout to end the inning.
Dehaven continued to impact the scoreboard during the bottom of the sixth. After Harden and Molly Maynard got on base, Maggie Maynard sac bunted to advance them to second and third.
With one out, Dehaven recorded a sac fly to score Harden and cut the deficit to four. The Colonels then stranded Molly by flying out to second.
An inning earlier, the Dukes’ Tessa Carteret hit a leadoff double, tried to advance to third and made it home after an error on the throw to third, extending the lead to 4-1. Cameron Palas walked and Horsley singled and stole second before Carlton popped out for the first out.
Dishman stepped up to the plate next and hit a two-RBI double to drive in her team’s last two runs. A pop out by Keister advanced Dishman, and Sales doubled to put runners on second and third, but Hardaway popped out to conclude the frame.
“They made good adjustments offensively, and I think they were scrappy hitters,” Gibson said. “They were getting the barrel to the ball and working the count and getting their pitch to hit. I think they did a good job of that.”
James Wood cycled back to the top of its order to start the bottom of the fifth, but Cookson sent down the Colonels’ first three batters to end the inning.
Maggie Maynard matched Cookson’s efforts in the top of the sixth by retiring Gloucester’s No. 1, 2 and 3 hitters before recording her sac bunt in the bottom of the inning that advanced her sister and Harden.
Gibson said it was great to see freshmen like Maynard, Dehaven and Madagan step up in a big game so early in their careers and added that he’s glad they got valuable experience.
“Just getting to play in these big games, this environment [is important],” Gibson said. “I don’t know if it was nerves or something, but [the team was] a little shaky early in the game. So, hopefully the next time out, you don’t have that. I love leaving this game knowing they got that experience.”
Maynard allowed just one base runner in the top of the seventh, preserving the four-run deficit to give the Colonels a chance to come back. In the final frame, Williams singled on a hard grounder to center field with one out, but she was later thrown out at second after Nail hit into a fielder’s choice.
With two outs and a runner on first, the Colonels popped out to end the game.
Williams opened the bottom of the first with a leadoff double, but was left stranded on third after Gloucester retired the Colonels’ next three batters. Cookson later sent James Wood down in order in the second.
With one out in the third, Williams singled before advancing to third on a sac bunt by Nail. Gloucester then intentionally walked Taylor Fishel, bringing up Harden, who had six RBIs in the state quarterfinal game against Woodgrove. The Dukes’ strategy paid off, as Cookson struck out Harden to strand two runners.
Williams said she wanted to leave everything out on the field while trying to help the Colonels reach the state title game.
“I knew that there was a job that had to be done and I was willing to do it,” Williams said. “I just knew that I needed to do my part. If I did my part, I could leave here feeling good about myself. So, just really making sure I set the tone and try to keep everybody up as much as possible, even when I wasn’t up myself, [was my mentality].”
After helping the Colonels go further than they ever have before, Williams said what she’ll remember most about the season is the bonds she formed and strengthened with her teammates.
“I don’t think I’m most proud of what we’ve done,” Williams said. “I think I’m most proud of how close we are as a team. I’ve never played with a high school team that’s this close. It’s a great group of girls.”
— Contact Joe Tuman at jtuman@winchesterstar.com
Follow him on X @jtuman21