With the finish line for the regular season now in sight, Columbia Academy's softball team remains within reach of first place in the District 4 standings. They inched a little closer to that top spot Thursday night with a 7-1 road win over Brookhaven Academy, an opponent that was previously undefeated in district play.
The Lady Cougars (13-7) were fueled by a strong performance in the pitching circle by eighth-grader Macey Branch, who earned the team's 'G.O.A.T. Chain' by allowing only one run on five hits through seven innings while striking out three. Branch was also 2-for-4 in the batter's box, serving as one of four Lady Cougars who registered multiple hits in the contest. The biggest swing of them all was a 3-run moonshot by Allie Watts, her fifth of the year in yet another explosive performance for the sophomore.
The win brought the Lady Cougars within one win of a tie with Brookhaven Academy for first place in the district with only two district games remaining on the schedule, the next being a rematch with Brookhaven Academy on Saturday. Although climbing into first place would require a couple of outcomes that are out of their control, head coach Kyle Wilks said he's excited about where the team stands and how strongly they're performing this close to the postseason.
"If we do what we're supposed to do and continue to play well through these next few games, in all likelihood, we will finish second," Wilks said. "Finishing first is still a possibility, but we're just trying to control what we can control and finish strong. Things are looking pretty good for us lately. We're swinging the bat really well, and our pitching has been good. Hopefully we can keep it going and carry this momentum with us into the playoffs."
The Lady Cougars will grow even stronger over the days to come with the return of senior Abbey Pevey, a driving force for the squad both in the pitching circle and at the plate. Pevey, who missed time with the team while recovering from surgery to repair a broken finger, is eying a return to the field for Senior Night on Sept. 13 when the Lady Cougars hosted Bowling Green in their final district contest.
"We're really looking forward to the possibility of having her with us for a playoff run," Wilks said Friday. "It's also exciting for that to be a possibility on Senior Night. She's one of two seniors we have on the team. You know, Maggie (Wilks) has been a part of the program since she was in seventh grade, and Abbey's been with us for the past two years, and they've both done a tremendous job of setting great examples and being great leaders for our younger group of girls. They're both great young ladies on and off the field, so we're looking forward to recognizing them for all they do."
