Prep softball: Lady Bruins on right side of another one-run game

Published 12:39 am Saturday, October 18, 2014

The latest one-run victory for Northwest Whitfield High School’s softball team brings a reward that should push this win to the top of the list among all of the close contests so far in 2014.

And there’s probably not much of a debate about that, either.

The Lady Bruins won 1-0 at Madison County on Friday in the third game of their best-of-three series in the opening round of the Class 4A state playoffs. It secured a second-round trip to Atlanta’s Marist next week for another best-of-three series with a place among the final eight — the double-elimination state tournament is set for Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Columbus — on the line.

The big victory for Northwest (18-17) followed Thursday’s doubleheader split, when the Lady Bruins lost 8-0 in an opening game that was shortened to five innings by the mercy rule, then won the second game 8-3 to force Friday’s contest against Madison County (27-8), the Region 8-4A No. 2 seed.

Northwest, the Region 7-4A No. 3 seed, has won the past two Class 4A state titles, and despite losing almost all of their starting lineup from last season, the 2014 Lady Bruins don’t appear ready to let the high standards established in recent years fall. Starting with the 2009 season, Northwest has finished in the top five each season, missing a trip to Columbus just once during that successful run.

“Knowing that we’ve done it in the past, even though they weren’t a part of the team necessarily, I guess they feel an obligation to keep it going,” said Northwest coach Jason Brooker, who is in his third season leading the program.

Brooker has had to experiment with his lineup during the course of the season, and the loss of a strong senior class from the 2013 roster meant that inexperience has proven costly at times. But now it’s mid-October, and the Lady Bruins don’t seem so young anymore.

“I think it’s experience and just having the confidence in each other,” Brooker said in regard to the difference between his team now and at midseason. “There might have been some doubt just because of the inexperience, but they’re starting to believe in each other and support each other. It’s not that they were intentionally not doing that, but now they have that belief and they stay behind each other.

“And we are playing four freshmen a lot, but they’re not like freshmen anymore after 35 games.”

In its eighth one-run win of the season — the Lady Bruins have lost six games by a run, although they’re 5-0 in their past five one-run games — Northwest had just four hits, but the Lady Bruins got the scoring out of the way early and made it hold up behind a complete-game performance by senior pitcher BriLeigh Baggett.

Sophomore shortstop Alyssa Ward drew a leadoff walk to start the game, stole second base and went to third on Bayley Marquardt’s bunt. When Shelby Ralstson grounded to shortstop, the speedy Ward — selected by Region 7-4A coaches as the league’s Player of the Year — came home on the throw to first.

Ward had another single and McCall Carlock and Charis Knight each had one, but the Lady Bruins’ only other real scoring threat came on a double by Baggett in the fourth inning, and that was with two outs.

Backed by error-free defense, Baggett allowed three hits and three walks while striking out three. She escaped a second-and-third, one-out jam in the fifth when Madison County’s squeeze bunt attempt went awry.

The batted ball was sent straight back to Baggett, who threw to catcher Marquardt. She tagged the runner coming home then threw out the other Lady Red Raider caught between second and third.

The experience of close games is paying off for the Lady Bruins, Brooker said.

“I think they’re pretty calm in those situations,” he said. “They’re used to it. They know that if they relax and play the game and do what they’re supposed to do, most of the time it will take care of itself.”

Marist (25-5), the Region 6-4A champion, swept Troup County 6-0 and 9-2 on Wednesday to reach the second round. The Lady War Eagles will host Northwest in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Wednesday. If necessary, a third game would be played at a to-be-determined time on Thursday.

It’s the second straight year these programs have met in the second round. Northwest swept Marist 6-0 and 4-2 last season.

Brooker said his team has proven that it’s “ready to win games like (Friday’s).”

“Hopefully it will carry on and help us next week,” he added. “If we have situations like that, we know we can get the job done.”