Owen hosts twin Senior Nights
Warlassies punch postseason ticket
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 4, 2022
Owen fans were seeing double, May 3, when the Warlassies and Warhorses hosted Madison in a twin bill on Senior Night.
Half a dozen Warlassies, including Emily Stone, were recognized before their final regular season home game. Minutes later, Stone’s twin brother, Sidney, received a spirited ovation as the Warhorse catcher was among the group of seniors honored by the team.
While the double feature was one of the evening’s many highlights, the Warlassies would need only 1 run to defeat their Western Highlands Conference rival and earn a trip to the 2022 playoffs.
The games began within minutes of each other, as Emily Stone, Bailee Worley, Frances Holladay, McKenna Mumpower, Chloe Little and Autumn Robinson were escorted by family members to the softball field’s third base line. Each senior was presented a gift bag and custom plaque, featuring a photo of the senior players and a metal horseshoe. The pregame ceremony featured favorite memories of the five senior-athletes.
Immediately following the introduction, five Warhorses walked onto the baseball field for the final regular season home game of their careers. Sidney Stone, Briggs Barker, Brett Gaynor, Will Shaw and Cadyn Cook were joined by family and greeted by teammates as they made their way to the first base line, where they were greeted warmly by the home crowd.
As the Warhorses loosened up, the excitement was well underway on the softball field.
Junior pitcher Addison Bartlett entered the contest needing only 3 strikeouts to reach 100 on her career, as the Warlassies were looking to sweep the Patriots for the first time since 2011. Owen took the first of the two contests between the teams this season, April 8, with a 13-11 victory in Madison County.
Runs would be a lot harder to come by Tuesday night, as Bartlett deployed an arsenal of off-speed pitches to disrupt the timing of opposing batters. While the Warlassies’ offense also struggled to find its rhythm, an opposite field single and aggressive baserunning by freshman Sophie Neal put the home team ahead, 1-0, in the second inning.
That lead, and a strong defensive showing by her teammates, would be all Bartlett needed to deliver the victory, as she notched the 100th strikeout of her career in the fourth inning. The win earned the 12-5 Warlassies an automatic playoff bid as the top 2A team in the WHC.
“I sat here and watched my daughter play on this field four years ago, and it’s always been a struggle to beat this team,” Owen head softball coach Pete Ledford said after the game. “It’s been over 10 years since we beat (Madison), and we’ve done it twice this year. When these girls put their minds to something, the sky’s the limit.”
That determination was underscored by the performance of Bartlett, the coach added.
“She’s matured so much in the last couple of years,” Ledford said of the pitcher. “We played 11 games last season and she was the pitcher of the year. It was her goal this season to pick up that 100th strikeout, and when she’s locked and loaded, nobody can beat her.”
Bartlett celebrated the milestone with her teammates, who huddled around her and presented her with the game ball. The timing of the moment is particularly special for the junior.
“Since I was a freshman, I’ve always heard the upperclassmen talking about how we need to beat Madison,” she said. “We didn’t get to play them because of COVID in my first season, and we fell short last year. We came into this year with the goal to beat them and make it to the playoffs.”
The victory is dedicated to the seniors, sophomore shortstop Ryleigh Ogle said after the game.
“It's great to get this win for the seniors who have worked so hard to get us to this point,” she said. “It was important to all of us to beat Madison, especially on Senior Night.”
The Warlassies will close out the regular season on the road against Mountain Heritage, which enters the Thursday, May 5 contest with a 15-2 record. The Cougars are 10-1 against WHC competition this season, after losing to Madison, 2-1, in April.
The Warhorses, who jumped out to an early lead on Senior Night before falling 19-3, will look to improve their 3-15 record on the road against the Cougars in their season finale on Thursday.
To see photos of Owen baseball and softball Senior Nights, view the gallery at the top of the page.