Danny Federico
reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com
Behind a dominant outing from pitcher Laila Arnold, the Branford High School varsity softball team defeated the Fort White Indians, 3-1, on Thursday night, May 1, effectively claiming the district championship title.
Arnold struck out 10 batters and allowed just one run on five hits over seven innings, leading the Buccaneers to the win. She issued only two walks in the complete-game effort.“She was exceptional as always,” Coach Oscar Saavedra said about Arnold’s performance. “She doesn’t get rattled. She trusts her defense and is able to get out of any situation.”
The Buccaneers struck early, plating a run in the top of the first inning when Victoria Swain singled to drive in courtesy runner Danielle Whitfield. Swain continued to spark the offense throughout the game, finishing 4-for-4 with two runs batted in.
“Victoria has helped jumpstart the offense,” Saavedra said. “She is strong at the plate, sees the ball well, and is able to produce when needed.”
In the fourth inning, Swain doubled and scored on a sacrifice bunt from Hunter Revis to extend the Bucs' lead to 2-0. The Indians responded at the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The Bucs added an insurance run in the fifth when Swain's second RBI single of the night brought home Jesse Frierson, pushing the lead to 3-1. Frierson also collected two hits, going 2-for-4 at the plate.
Defensively, Branford turned a key double play in the third inning and held Fort White scoreless over the final three innings despite a late rally that included an Indian triple in the seventh. Arnold struck out the final batter to end the threat and secure the win.
“I knew we had to play our best, eliminate any errors and produce at the plate,” Saavedra said about the team’s game plan going into the matchup. “It was a great win against a tough opponent. That’s what all the games will be like here on out. It reminded us we are one of the strong teams and we can play with anyone.”
Looking ahead, Saavedra says the team hopes to improve on their strength at the plate. “We still had 10 strikeouts,” he said. “We need to eliminate that and continue with our strong defense.”
Overall, the Bucs collected 11 hits, with Swain leading the way. The win improves the team's record to 19-6 as they head into the regional semifinals on Thursday, May 8.
The girls will once again face the Indians, whom they faced twice in the regular season. The Bucs' only loss to the Indians came early in the season by a score of 2-1 in extra innings.
The regional semifinals match will begin at 7 p.m. in Branford.
