By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
The Comets varsity softball team and Franklin County will again have a one-game playoff for the regular season championship in the Western Valley District and an automatic bid to the Northwest Region Tournament.
Halifax County ensured the second playoff game in two years between the two rivals with a 14-0 rout of GW in Danville Monday night to end the regular season.
The Comets finished with 19 hits against GW, pitcher Paige Rickman going 4-5 at the plate with five RBIs, and Lashunda Davis also going 4-5 with two RBIs.
Katie Barnett had a pair of RBI singles, Amber Bowman and Betty Rose (double) two hits and two RBIs, Lauren Daniel (double) two hits and an RBI, Stephanie Clark and Whitney Womack each a double and Kim Snead a base hit for the Comets.
Halifax County (9-1 WVD, 16-2 overall) has won 12 of their last 13 games, the one loss a 4-2 home setback May 6 against Franklin County.
The Comets bats came back to life against GW after several off games at the plate, and the timing couldn’t be better, according to coach Melanie Saunders.
“It’s good to see our bats come back to life,” explained Saunders.
“We were really flat the past several games and we’ve been hitting the ball, but haven’t hit it when we needed it.
“Today, we had that flat spell for a couple of innings in the middle of the game and started hitting again.
“It’s good for the girls to be able to do that, especially with this game (Franklin County) coming up Thursday.
“It’s a situation where we got all of our players in the game and move them around, with everyone getting to bat.
“That’s always good before you go into a tournament.”
Three runs on three hits in the first inning got the Comets off to a good start at GW, Clark with a leadoff double and Davis with a one-out single before Rose reached base after being hit by a pitch to load the sacks.
Rickman promptly unloaded them with a triple that made it 3-0, and the Comets added another run in the second when Davis singled and later scored when Rose (RBI) reached base on another error.
Womack was stranded after a one-out double in the third, and Halifax was retired in order in the fourth before striking for two runs in the fifth inning.
Rose doubled to lead off the inning and went to third on a passed ball, before Rickman singled her home. Daniel reached base on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored on a Barnett single to make it 6-0.
Bowman doubled and scored on a Davis single in the sixth and the Comets added seven runs on nine hits in the top of the seventh to complete the rout.
Rickman doubled, Daniel singled, and Barnett (RBI) singled, before Bowman’s hit scored two runs.
Clark reached on an error and Snead singled, before consecutive RBI hits by Davis, Rickman and Daniel finished the scoring.
Rickman went the distance on the mound to get the win, scattering four hits in seven innings of work, with 10 strikeouts and four walks, while the Comets played error-free defense in support of Rickman.
