Drama queens

Warlassies advance to third round with walk-off grand slam

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 10, 2024

The stage was set for a dramatic finish, May 10, when Owen freshman Mia Roland stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with the bases loaded, locked in a 2-2 tie with Bunker Hill in the second round of the NCHSAA 2A State Softball Playoffs.

With one swing of the bat, the No. 5 Warlassies delivered a thrilling 6-2 victory, extended their current winning streak to 16 games and advanced to face No.4 Southwestern Randolph in round three, on Tuesday, May 14.

Roland smashed a walk-off grand slam for her eighth home run of the season in a game that had been tied since the fourth inning, as Owen pitcher Sophie Neal and Bunker Hill freshman Serena Thurman were locked in a duel. The Warlassies, who finished the night with 6 hits, were retired in order in the sixth.

Roland’s game-winning run was the shortstop’s third of the night, as she continues to perform in high-pressure moments, according to head coach Pete Ledford.

“All I needed was a long fly ball to get the winning run in, but she stepped up and hit it perfectly,” he said. “Mia really is a special player, and doing this tonight to take her team to the third round should really prove that to everybody.”

Roland, who was hit in the hand by a pitch in the fifth inning, was visibly favoring it after the game.

“I don’t know the status on her hand yet,” Ledford said. “I know she was in pain.”

While Owen is led by a core of freshman of sophomore, Neal, the junior, held the Bunker Hill lineup to 5 hits.

“She got in a jam in the fifth inning and loaded the bases with one out,” Ledford said. “But, she trusted her teammates behind her, made some great pitches and got out of it without allowing a run. She lives for games like this, where the pressure is on her shoulders and she can deliver for her teammates.”

The Warlassies have not lost a game since mid-March, and that momentum will need to carry them when they go on the road for the first time this postseason to face Southwestern Randolph, who defeated No. 13 McMichael, 4-0, to advance. The Cougars will enter the contest with a 17-6 record, while Owen improved to 20-2 with their second round victory.

As the Warlassies continue their playoff run, the young roster is largely unaffected by the pressure, according to the coach.

“They’re so young and they truly love the game,” Ledford said. “They’re doing what they’ve been doing together since they were 6 years old, and they live for each other and the moment. It’s been so fun coaching and watching these girls.”

Photos of the Warlassies’ 6-2 victory over Bunker Hill in the second round of the 2024 NCHSAA 2A State Softball Playoffs can viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.