STARKVILLE — Experience was rewarded on Monday night at Starkville Academy.
On a night when the Volunteers honored their seniors, they also clinched a playoff berth with an 8-0 win over Washington School. It’s been a season of highs and lows, including a four-game losing streak, but the team shook off the rust and won its last two games of the season.
Senior Arlee Oswalt led the way for the Vols (9-8) with three hits on the night, driving in two runs. The other two seniors, Browning Hughes and Arden Parker, each had hits as well, with Parker adding a run. A six-run second inning sandwiched between one-run first and third innings put the game out of reach early, and pitcher Calliope Koiva pitched all five innings in the shutout, making very quick work of the Generals.
“It felt good, we’re going to the playoffs,” Oswalt said of the win. She and Sarah Sellers got things going early with leadoff hits.
“At the beginning (of the season) we were doing pretty bad. We didn’t have that much energy in the beginning, but as the season went on we got better.”
The progression throughout the season came through some tough losses, but it put the Vols in a position to capitalize on their opportunity late in the season. With his team heading into the playoffs, head coach Lee Berryhill is embracing the opportunity for more experience.
“It’ll be a tough road for us, ain’t no doubt about that,” Berryhill said of clinching a playoff spot, “but you gain experience and you’ve got to start somewhere and build on it. We’re happy about that, happy about our girls the last two or three games or so, more spark, more competitiveness and more execution.”
It’s the first trip to the playoffs since Berryhill took over, and he was especially happy for the seniors who were there from the start.
“It’s my third year here, they were sophomores so they bought into what we wanted to do,” he said. “I’m just happy for them to go out in the playoffs and have a good year for us.”
The Vols’ playoff game will start at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Magee Sportsplex.
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