Darcee Brown surrendered just two hits in the Valwood softball team’s 5-0 victory against the Southland Academy Raiders on Tuesday.
Mary Clare Martin and Natalie Rojas each earned two hits for the Valiants. Brown, Ansley Haskard, Graceigh Booth, Emily Taylor, Ansley Bennett and Lindsey Browning all had one hit.
Rojas started a three-batter hitting streak in the fourth with a single to center field. Brown followed her with a single to the backhand of the shortstop, moving Rojas to second. Clare Nijem entered the game to run for Brown. With runners on first and second, Browning tripled with a line drive to right-center field, scoring Rojas and Nijem. Bri Fosdick scored the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Valiants got three up and three down against the Raiders in the fourth. Scoring slowed in the fifth and sixth.
In the top of the second, Valwood went on a two-out rally when Taylor singled with a line drive to left field, followed by a single by Bennett. With an infield error, Martin was able to reach first safely, loading the bases. Another single by Rojas scored Valwood’s fourth run when Taylor crossed home plate. A walk by Brown to score Bennett concluded scoring for the Valiants.
The win kept the Valiants in the running for the GISA Region 3-3A title, bringing their record to 4-1 in region play.