Mills River – The 3A playoffs begin this week. Mountain Seven runner-up West (18-3; 10-2 M7) made a statement in its second regular-season game. The Lady Falcons doubled up Mountain Athletic Conference champion Enka (20-1; 12-0 MAC), by 10-5 at home on February 2.
That was Enka’s only regular season defeat. The two 3A juggernauts could meet in playoffs.
Two of West’s most lopsided victories were against other MAC teams in March: a 19-0 win at 3A A.C. Reynolds and a 17-2 victory at 4A T.C. Roberson.
Hitting Prowess
Head coach Dana McMullan Braznell, in her ninth year at the helm, leads a West squad that features perhaps the strongest batting lineup in the program’s history. She noted that there is more power “top to bottom” than in any of her squads over the past decade. “Any starter and several off our bench can hit it out.”
West scored in double digits in 16 of its first 17 victories. Remarkably, three Falcon starters are batting over a blistering .500, and four other regulars are hitting over .400.
Aces Littrell, Walker
Pitching and defense are solid. West, like 3A rival Enka, has two senior pitching aces. West’s Haley “Sparky” Littrell (12-2) had a sharp 1.81 earned run average until late. Sarah Walker is 5-1 with a 1.43 ERA. West shut out opponents in five of its first 17 contests, including Littrell’s gem in a 15-0 win at Smoky Mountain on April 23.
Tall Walker said that she throws heat primarily “inside, also outside” on the plate’s edge.
Husky Littrell describes herself as “more of a movement pitcher.” She locates pitches “up and down, left to right, to keep hitters off balance.”
Nemesis Franklin
West fell to 4A McDowell to end the regular season last Friday. Until then, the Lady Falcons’ only regular-season losses were to league champion Franklin (11-1 M7). The scores were 10-4 at FHS on March 28 and 3-2 at West on Tuesday, April 29.
The Falcons led 2-1 after four innings on April 29. However, in the seventh and final frame, Franklin scored twice and prevented West from tying the game.
Falcon confidence soared ahead of that close rematch with the Panthers. “We’re going to get them back!” Sarah Walker vowed. Fiery lead-off hitter Kayden Lyda stated, “We will beat them, like we should have the first time.” Many onlookers noted several questionable umpiring calls.
Lyda expressed that losing to Franklin “felt like slapping us in the face.” Yet “the third time could be the charm,” as they say, if the teams eventually meet again in the 3A playoffs.
Big Mac Attacks
West rebounded impressively from its first loss at FHS by defeating Tuscola 10-0 on April 1 in its next game. That five-inning, slaughter-shortened home contest showcased West’s immense power hitting.
Senior shortstop Lyda and junior catcher Makena “Mac” Henderson each hit two-run home runs far over the right-center field fence. West’s leading home run hitters are Henderson (9), Walker (6), and Littrell (5). Mac hit three home runs in the 10-5 season-opening win over Enka, which remains Enka’s only defeat so far.
Mac homered twice in a win over Pisgah at home on April 25. One fast-traveling smash was to center field; one wonders if it is still orbiting Earth. If so, it’s likely flying too high and fast to be mistaken for a spy balloon. She drove in four runs both against Tuscola (THS) and in a 16-2 win over East Henderson on April 14.
Offensive Firepower
Walker had three hits against Tuscola. Lyda, volleyball star hitter Marley Orr, and senior Lilyan Barrett each contributed two of West’s ten hits. Lyda doubled to start a two-run opening inning. In the third inning, Walker tripled, and Orr, a junior, doubled her in. Mac’s sacrifice fly made it 5-0.
West soon doubled the score to reach the ten-run slaughter margin, as Walker drove in Orr. Lyda and Henderson each smashed two-run homers. Littrell pitched four innings before Walker finished up.