COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Brenna Nation will never complain about Gordon Lee's softball offensive prowess. After all, as the top-ranked Class A team's ace pitcher, it's to her benefit when the Lady Trojans do their usual damage at the plate.
However, with the GHSA playoffs spread out to last three weeks and with Gordon Lee sweeping every opponent, Nation hasn't had much work. So it's no shock the senior has pitched back-to-back shutouts on consecutive days, the latest a two-hit, eight-strikeout gem in Gordon Lee's 9-0 win over Wesleyan on Friday.
The win puts the 36-1 Lady Trojans in today's championship round, where they will face the winner of the losers-bracket final between Wesleyan and George Walton Academy.
"The more repetitions I've gotten, the better my pitches are moving and I feel better," Nation said. "I'm really happy about it. My defense is playing wonderful and the offense is great, so I hope we go out there tomorrow with the same mentality."
Since escaping Bryan County 4-3 in their first game Thursday, the Lady Trojans have outscored their opponents 23-0, and Friday the usual suspects did the damage. Kendall Johnson had three hits and and an RBI, Sam Taylor was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Courtney Towns had two hits and an RBI.
The Lady Trojans scored in five of the seven innings.
"Brenna pitched very well tonight and we scored a run here and a run there, constantly putting pressure on their defense," Gordon Lee coach Dana Mull said. "We're where we need to be at the right time of the year, and that's important.