JOHNSTON – It’s difficult to fathom, but Wednesday’s meeting between the Wardlaw Lady Patriots and Fox Creek Lady Predators had an unexpected scrimmage-like feel to it.  

Normally, when the two teams get together you expect blood-and-guts.

Based on the history between the two teans, you know you will get outstanding pitching on both sides and that some clutch hit late will decide things.

But this most recent installment felt more like a recreation league matchup than a battle between nearby county rivals. Perhaps it’s because both teams have bigger fish to fry.

Wardlaw and Fox Creek are participating in an invitational tournament this weekend at Citizen’s Park where the Lady Patriots will play North Augusta and Fox Creek is slated to take on Aiken (among other larger opponents both schools will be facing).

But Wednesday’s game – won by Wardlaw in a competitive 2-0 final – did prove useful to both teams. After hammering inferior region and conference competition, both squads needed a tune-up game against a much better team heading into the tournament.

“That was a good one for us heading into this tournament,” said Wardlaw head coach Ron Conley after the victory. “What we’ve been seeing has been up and down and so this was good for us to see some pitching more along the lines of what we’ll see this weekend. It helped us to get ready because we had the pitching and defense, but we need to get the bats going.”

Peyton Baynham’s double and Kinsey Parrish’s follow-up RBI-single in the game’s opening inning would prove to be enough for the Lady Patriots to get the win and move to 6-2 overall.

Fox Creek fell to 5-2 overall with the loss. Parrish picked up the win on the mound for Wardlaw.

“A game like this does help us to get ready,” said Fox Creek head coach Amanda Schneider as her team ran laps following the final out. We have to be focused and ready to play the teams that we’re going to be playing and this game helps us do that.”

Fox Creek starter Tori Starnes pitched well, but was relieved in the sixth by Danielle Payne, who held the Lady Patriots scoreless in her two innings of work. Still, the damage had been done, as the Lady Patriots had added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth after speedy catcher Chelsea Holmes motored around to score following a Fox Creek error.

“We just have to get it together,” said Conley of matching his team’s superior defense with an underperforming offense. “We can’t expect (the eight and nine) hitters to get it done for us. But we’re starting to get it together. We just have to be ready for this weekend.”