Warlassies wrangle ninth straight win
Neal shutout, Roland home run power Owen to 4-0 victory over Swain
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 18, 2024
The Warlassies were staked to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, when shortstop Mia Roland stepped to the plate with pitcher Sophie Neal on first base. With one swing of the bat, the freshman unleashed a towering drive over the right center field fence, as Owen ran away with its ninth straight victory.
The moment, which came in a 4-0 win at home over Swain, April 18, epitomized the style of play that has carried the Warlassies to a 13-2 record.
“I was able to go out there and pitch with confidence,” said Neal, who recorded her third shutout and ninth win of the season in the contest. “We’ve had a really positive mindset as a team this year, and when we go out there we know we can trust everyone on the field to come up big when it’s needed.”
The junior, who struck out 10 batters in 7 innings of work, kept Maroon Devil hitters off-balance throughout the night.
“I knew I needed to work all the way around the plate, and I trusted my defense behind me,” Neal said. “We had a few movement pitches, but most of them were fastballs, and fortunately I was able to locate them.”
Precision pitching from Neal and sophomore Elly Wright has been a significant factor for Owen, which has not lost a game since March 14. While the roster predominately features freshmen and sophomores, the team’s ability to focus on what it takes to win has impressed head coach Pete Ledford more than anything else.
“They go out there and try to win every inning, whether it’s the first or last pitch,” he said. “They communicate well and the leadership of Mia, Sophie and senior Tinley Clark has played a big role in that.”
Roland, who leads the team with a .528 batting average, 24 runs batted in and 3 home runs in 15 games, has made an immediate impact in her first season with the team. She has registered at least one hit in 14 of her team’s 15 games this season, while stealing at least one base in every contest, while her grand slam, April 17 against North Buncombe, sealed a 7-3 Owen victory.
“It’s hard to believe she’s a freshman,” Ledford said. “I saw her play at (Owen Middle) and I believe she could’ve played at the high school as a seventh-grader. We’ve known she was going to be a special player for a while.”
The Warlassies have scored 86 runs in their last 9 games, holding opponents to a total of 17. Their 7-1 mark in the Western Highlands Conference is tied with Draughn for the top spot.
“We just need to keep trusting each other, keep communicating and keep having fun,” Roland said. “If we keep doing that, there’s no telling what we can accomplish.”
Owen will travel to Freedom, Monday, April 22, before returning home at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 23, to host a conference game against Avery.
Photos of Owen’s 4-0 victory over Swain can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.