Warlassies fall short in late-inning rally
Owen softball slides to 2-3 with home loss to Draughn
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
March 17, 2023
An early lead followed by a late-inning rally wasn’t enough for Owen at home, March 16, as they fell, 9-7, to Draughn in extra innings.
While the young Warlassies slipped to 2-3 in the loss to the 6-0 Wildcats, they didn’t go down without a fight.
Sophomore Sophie Neal started on the mound for Owen, which was facing its Western Highlands Conference opponent for the second time in two days. Draughn picked up its fifth win of the season in an 8-3 victory over the Warlassies on March 14, prompting head coach Pete Ledford to make adjustments heading into Thursday’s contest.
“We decided to go with Sophie, and shifted things on defense a little,” Ledford said. “We moved Savannah Hollingsworth, who normally plays shortstop, to left field, and put Addison Bartlett, who is our only senior and pitched when we went to Draughn, in at short.”
The young lineup responded by taking an early 1-0 lead. The hard-throwing Neal held the strong Wildcats lineup scoreless into the fifth inning, before the visiting team broke through to take a 5-1 lead. A relief appearance by Bartlett limited the damage, but the Wildcats extended their lead with a pair of runs in sixth.
Neal used her bat to spark a late-inning rally for the Warlassies, who scored 4 runs in the sixth and tied the game, 7-7, before stranding a runner on third to end the seventh.
The Wildcats responded with a pair of runs in extra innings.
“We came up just short, and if we had one more hit in the seventh we end it right there,” Ledford said.
However, the head coach was encouraged by his team’s response after falling behind a “loaded” Draughn lineup.
“They have some really good players over there, but it was great to see our girls rally like they did,” he said. “It was exciting to see their energy out there.”
While Owen dropped its second straight contest, the ability of the players to battle back late in the game is something the team can build on, Ledford added.
“I think this game helped them realize how good we can be if we just focus for all seven innings,” he said. “Once we eliminate the little mistakes and put everything together, we’ll be tough to beat.”
The Warlassies will attempt to pick up their third win of the season at 5 p.m., Monday, March 20, on the road against Erwin. They return to Owen at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 21, to host WHC opponent Mitchell.
“We have a young team, but plenty of talent,” Ledford said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do as the season goes on.”
Photos of the game between Draughn and Owen can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.