Warlassies turn two to start the season

Owen softball outlasts Reynolds, 4-3, in home opener

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
March 5, 2024

Timely hitting and precision pitching led the Warlassies back from an early deficit, March 4, as Owen outlasted Reynolds, 4-3, in its home opener.

The victory was the second straight for the Warlassies, who are 2-0 to start the season. 

Owen entered the contest against the 0-2 Rockets after opening the season, Feb. 29, with a 5-1 win over Brevard. Led by junior Sophie Neal, who finished the night with 13 strikeouts, the Warlassies were down, 1-0, after the first inning.

The Owen offense responded in the third inning, staking the starting pitcher to a 2-1 lead. The Warlassies added another run in the fourth, when freshman Hannah Norton scored on a wild pitch. 

The Rockets responded by plating a runner in the fifth, before Owen established a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the inning. Despite a late Reynolds run, Neal held on for her second win of the year. The hurler has notched 24 strikeouts through her first two starts.

“Sophie Neal has been a dog for us for three years now,” Owen head coach Pete Ledford said, after the game. “I’ve coached her all her life, and it’s great to see her performing the way she is right now. She knows when she has to buckle down and make her pitches, and she works extremely hard in the offseason to make sure she can get it done.”

The young Owen roster, which features seven freshman and only one senior, has “bought in” to the coaching staff’s message, added the third-year head coach, who is assisted by father and daughter Joe and Ashley Valencia.

“If they continue to buy in we’re going to make a run,” Ledford said. “These kids adapt well to everything we’re doing in practice and they have plenty of talent, so we just need to stay on course.”

Offensively, the Warlassies are paced by freshman shortstop Mia Roland, who leads the team with .571 batting average through her first 7 plate appearances. Roland has driven in a run each of Owen’s victories.

“We’re young but we have a lot of leaders on this team,” Ledford said. “We have players like Sophie and Mia, but we also have a senior, Tinley Clark, and a couple of sophomores who give us solid leadership throughout.”

Back-to-back victories against strong programs to open the season provides Owen with early momentum, as the Warlassies travel to Reynolds at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 5, before hosting Brevard at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 7.

“We wanted to ramp our schedule up this year and play teams that will push us to the next level,” Ledford said. “We know we have kids who are going to make the plays and handle that pressure. So, if they keep putting the work in, that’s going to help us a lot when we get to conference play.”

Photos of Owen’s 4-3 victory over Reynolds can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.