WINCHESTER — With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, every team is looking for that little bit extra that can help lead to a long and successful postseason run.
The James Wood softball team may have found it with the return of junior Kati Brannon to the pitching circle following an arm injury.
On Thursday, Brannon pitched for the first time since September with an inning of relief against Musselman (West Virginia). On Monday night, she got the start in the circle against Clarke County and showed why she was so successful last year.
Brannon was nearly perfect for three innings, allowing only two baserunners, and her offense gave her plenty of support. The Colonels rolled past Clarke County 12-0 at Ridge Field to sweep the season series with the Eagles. The game was called after five innings because of the run rule.
“I said a long time ago varsity wins are hard to come by. I was proud of our group tonight,” James Wood coach Patrick Gibson said. “Impressive win from start to finish. We pitched well, played good defense, ran the bases well, and hit well against a really good, gritty team in Clarke County.”
With ace Sophia Gerald still nursing some inflammation in her pitching arm and James Wood (11-2) opening a stretch of four games in five days on Monday, Gibson couldn’t be happier to have Brannon pitching again. Last year, Brannon tied for the area lead in wins (8-2 record) and ranked second in ERA (1.72 in 57 innings), third in strikeouts (100) and fifth in WHIP (1.16).
“Getting her at this point in the season now, we feel like the rest of the way we’re going to be deeper,” Gibson said. “You want to be playing your best softball at the end and I think that’s what we’re doing right now.”
Out of the three Colonels pitchers, Brannon allowed the only two baserunners. Brannon allowed a two-out walk in the second and gave up a two-out double to Emmerson Kennedy in the third. Both times Brannon retired the next hitter to end the inning. She struck out three in the win. Gerald and freshman Maggie Maynard each worked one perfect inning.
After Brannon worked a perfect top of the first, the Colonels offense went right to work. In the bottom of the first Wood sent 10 hitters to the plate and scored six runs on four hits and two Clarke County (6-9) errors. The first six Colonels hitters all reached base and scored.
Shortstop Brynnen Williams led off with a sharp single to left and she moved all the way around to third on an errant throw back to the infield. Aubrey Nail followed with a walk and stole second.
Freshman Taylor Fishel doubled off the fence in right-center field to make it 2-0. Brannon walked and Kayleigh Harden’s single drove in Fishel.
Courtesy runner Maggie Maynard scored to make it 4-0 when older sister Molly reached on an error, and Gerald’s sacrifice fly scored Harden for a 5-0 advantage.
Marleigh DeHaven’s RBI groundout scored Molly Maynard and Wood led 6-0 after one.
James Wood had nine hits and was helped by several miscues by the Eagles. Clarke County committed five errors, leading to six unearned runs, and issued four walks. Three of the four walks resulted in runs. At the plate, Wood only had one strikeout for the game.
“They did have a few errors, but I also liked how we went to the right side a couple of times,” Gibson said. “We had some ground balls that got through. We weren’t trying to pull those pitches. We hit the ball where it was pitched. We went deep in counts, had sac flies when we needed them, and were just executing.”
The Colonels scored three more runs on just one hit in the second inning.
Nail reached on an error to lead off the inning and Fishel walked. One out later, Harden tripled to the fence in right, easily scoring both Nail and Fishel to make it 8-0.
Harden scored on Molly Maynard’s sacrifice fly and the Colonels had a 9-0 lead after two innings.
Needing one run to put the 10-run rule into effect, the Colonels scored three more times in the bottom of the third. Catcher Sophia Rohrbach reached on an error and Williams followed with her second hit of the game.
One out later, Taliah Shepherd singled to left to load the bases. Brannon’s sacrifice fly scored Rohrbach and Williams scored when Harden reached on an error to make it 11-0. Molly Maynard’s two-out RBI single scored Shepherd to make it 12-0.
Gerald retired the side in order with one strikeout in the fourth and Maggie Maynard retired all three hitters she faced in the fifth to end the game.
“Patrick has a solid team,” Clarke County coach Jeff Parker said. “I enjoy playing good teams like that. It gives us things to work on and keep getting better. We have a really young team, primarily sophomores and freshmen. We’ll get better. We’ll keep working.
“I feel like we’ve got a good group. We’ve just got to get better at adjusting when it comes to hitting. We’ve got six games left. We’ll see if we can finish strong and put ourselves maybe in good position for some upsets come tourney time.”
Williams and Harden led the way for the Colonels with two hits each. Williams, Nail, Fishel and Harden all scored twice. Harden and Molly Maynard each had three RBIs and Fishel added two.
James Wood is on the road Tuesday and Thursday at Liberty and Musselman, respectively, before returning home Friday to face Jefferson (West Virginia). Clarke County returned home Tuesday to face Luray and travels to Central on Friday.