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Branford pitcher Alex Whitfield winds up to pitch against Fort White on Thursday night. (MORGAN MCMULLEN/Lake City Reporter)
BRANFORD — In a potential preview of District 6-1A postseason action, the pitchers took center stage. So naturally, it was a manufactured run and an outfield error that decided Thursday’s contest between Fort White and Branford.
Alex Whitfield struck out nine batters and allowed just one hit as the Class 1A No. 2 Buccaneers outlasted the No. 5 Indians in a 2-0 pitcher’s duel. That follows Branford’s 12-1 win over Fort White back on March 6, where pitcher Laila Arnold struck out six batters in a five-inning run-rule win.
BHS head coach Oscar Saavedra said Thursday’s performance may not have lived up to his team’s standards, but he’ll take a win against Fort White any way he can.
“It went OK,” Saavedra said. “A win’s good. A win against Fort White is always a good thing.”
After getting swept in three meetings last year, including the district championship, the Bucs (11-2) have rattled off a pair of wins against the Indians (6-5) who Saavedra said his girls have had a mental block against in the past.
“This team won’t let our guard down,” Saavedra said. “Our mindset now is, ‘Hey, we can do this. There’s no problem.’
Thursday’s game opened with Fort White on the offensive, getting a pair of runners on base with two outs. But Whitfield came right back after striking out two batters to strike out one more in shortstop Ciara Byrd to escape the threat.
It’d be the last time Fort White would have multiple baserunners in an inning. If she wasn’t striking out batters, Whitfield’s pitches were inducing harmless groundouts and pop outs while working through the order.
“She’s a great pitcher,” Saavedra said. “Sometimes if she’s in a situation, she doesn’t believe so much in herself. But when she gets settled in, she starts producing. She did a great job tonight.”
The bottom of the first saw the only earned run of the game. Indians pitcher Cadence Compton did her best to keep her team in the contest throughout the night, but a one-out fielder’s choice with runners on the corners left second baseman N’Coreyia Atkins with only a play at second, allowing Madyson Sikes to score the opening run of the ballgame.
Not to be wholly outdone by her competition, Compton cruised after that, including inducing an inning-ending double-play ball off the bat of Ashlee Combee in the second inning before retiring eight consecutive batters. Compton finished with five strikeouts while allowing seven hits and just the one earned run.
“It is what it is,” FWHS head coach Michele Padgett said of her team’s defensive performance. “You’ve got to field the ball. When they hit the ball, you’ve got to field the ball.”
The only other run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning when designated player Kalyn Osgood roped a liner into right field, where freshman Taryn Clyatt misplayed the ball, allowing Combee to score all the way from first.
Padgett said she isn’t worried about the immediate future of her team, reiterating last season’s state semifinals performance. At this time last season, Fort White was coming out of its early year doldrums at 7-4 after a pair of wins to get back on track.
“This is about where we were this time last year, if I remember correctly,” Padgett said. “That’s just like we played last year. It’s game-to-game, improve every time. In the end is where it matters.”
In the other dugout, Saavedra said the only goal his team has is taking things slow.
“One game at a time,” he said. “Obviously, we kind of talk about the championship, state and stuff. But you throw that to the side right now. It’s just one game at a time, that’s all we’ve got to do.”
UP NEXT
Branford is on the road for the next four games, including a Friday contest at Lafayette (2-11) at 7 p.m. Fort White is off the rest of the week before playing host to Lafayette on Tuesday at 7 p.m.