Woodford County’s odd softball season back on track

Woodford County has had a bit of a quirky season compared to most of the softball teams around the state. The Yellow Jackets, the preseason pick to win the 11th Region, have played just 10 games; most teams have played double that amount as the halfway point of the season draws near.

The lack of a spring-break trip plus bad weather resulted in 16 days between Woodford’s season-opening loss to Scott County and a win over Garrard County. It turned around after that performance and dropped a 6-4 decision at home to an unranked Madison Central squad.

The odd start made Woodford, ranked seventh in the latest coaches poll, somewhat of an afterthought early in the season, especially with 11th Region rival Scott County reeling off win after win. But after defeating No. 9 East Jessamine 2-0 on the road Monday for its seventh straight victory, there’s no doubt Woodford intends to make noise.

Bethany Todd, the Yellow Jackets’ ace whose first initial inspired “Let’s Go B” chants from the crowd, struck out 16 and allowed just one hit and two walks to the Jaguars. She took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning and over one stretch struck out seven consecutive batters.

East Jessamine had a 17-game win streak snapped. The Jaguars, shut out for the first time in 19 outings, entered having averaged nine runs a game.

“I think we did pretty good,” Todd said with a grin. “I’m really proud of my team.”

Woodford Coach Sasha Turansky said Todd was “unbelievable” on the mound Monday. The 6-foot junior, who’s committed to the University of Kentucky, has had a sensational start to the season. Over 42 innings she’s struck out 82 batters and walked only five. Her ERA is 0.60.

“She’s been on a tear lately,” Turansky said.

Todd’s favorite pitch is her rise ball. She has a natural motion to lean back when she’s on the mound, which she said helps her delivery. It’s been part of her repertoire since she was 11; Todd started throwing when she was 8.

She kept East Jessamine at bay, but it was a future rival who gave her a lead to play with for most of the game. Caitlin Ferguson, a senior who signed with Louisville in the fall, hit a ball over the left-field wall for a two-run homer.

“Their pitcher pitched great and I thought our pitcher (Hannah James) pitched great,” East Jessamine Coach Tom Hamm. “That’s just the way it goes. … Hannah missed a spot and they hit one.”

Woodford’s schedule has been “weird,” Todd said, and it will only get stranger; beginning with East Jessamine, it’ll play 26 games in a little more than a month’s time. Its next three games? A rematch with Madison Central on the road Tuesday followed by a doubleheader at Anderson County on Thursday.

Turansky said that because of extra practice and rest, the layoff actually helped Woodforsd get mentally and physically prepared for the big stretch of games ahead. There are many back-to-back games in that run, which she thinks will help Woodford learn to adjust better on the fly, an important element in the postseason.

Woodford has performed well in the playoffs in recent years. Since Turansky took over the program in 2013, the Yellow Jackets have reached three of the last four 11th Region championship games. But Scott County’s ended their season each time, which has created a bit of a mental block.

“We just gotta get past that name that’s on the front of the jersey,” Turansky said. “If we can do that, the state tournament’s ahead of us.”

Todd wants a rematch.

“We’ll probably see them in the regional championship and I’m hoping we’ll get ’em that time,” Todd said. “That would be so big. I’m so excited. That’s our main goal right now.”

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 9:34 PM with the headline "Woodford County’s odd softball season back on track."