Gametime Henrico: May 8-14, 2023

The Wildcats have been on fire on the softball field during the second half of the season, winning their last six games and putting themselves in the conversation for who might be on top of the region when all is said and done. Last week, they improved to 12-6 after defeating Patrick Henry 7-5, John Marshall 20-2 and Godwin 4-2. Against the Patriots, Jessica Kolkhorst led the way, going 1 for 3 with three RBIs. Charlotte Boswell and Reese Roberson also recorded one hit apiece. Against the Justices, Brooke Wommack allowed just two hits and struck out six batters in five innings on the mound. At the plate, Boswell led the way with a 3-for-3 effort with two triples and four RBIs. Teagan Baulsir also had a big day, going 2 for 2 including with a home run and three RBIs. Against Godwin, it was Hope Tate who controlled the tempo on the mound, going the distance with eight strikeouts and just five hits allowed. The Wildcats’ next game will be at home against Tucker (3-15).

* * *

Deep Run’s girls soccer team found itself back in the win column and improved to 11-1-1 after a 3-2 victory over Godwin last week. Gianna Chrapek, Ella McCarthy and Cara Prior led the way for the Wildcats, each scoring a goal to help the Wildcats claim the win. They are now ranked second in Virginia and 57th in the United States as a team after the win and next will hit the road to face Tucker (7-6).

Freeman High School

The Mavericks’ baseball squad improved to 16-2 on the season after an impressive week of play, defeating Hermitage 14-2, Thomas Jefferson 17-0, and Tucker 13-4. Against the Panthers, Cross Kingsbury led the way, going 2 for 2 with two RBIs and one double. Roddrey Williams, Ryder Williams and Grayson Archibeque each went 1 for 1 on the day, totaling three runs and four RBIs collectively. Versus the Vikings, Matthew Britt,Sam Flippin and Vinnie Fischi led the way, each going 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs. Against the Tigers, Nolan Rayl went 3 for 4 at the plate with one run, one double and four RBIs. Freeman’s next game will be at home against rival Glen Allen (10-2).

Glen Allen High School

The Jaguars’ softball team snapped a three-game losing streak after defeating Hermitage 5-0, which improved its record to 11-4 on the season. Alison Via led the way for Glen Allen, going 1 for 2 with two RBIs and one triple. Grace Tharp went 1 for 2 as well with a double, and Tyra Christian went 1 for 3 with one run and a double. The Jags’ next game will be at home against Matoaca (16-4) this week.

Godwin High School

The Eagles’ baseball squad is coming off a dominant week of play, improving its record to 16-2 after wins against Clover Hill (13-2), and Deep Run (8-2). Versus Clover Hill, Caelan Funk led the offensive explosion, going 3 for 3 with four RBIs and a home run. Other notable performances included Juice Tobin (1 for 3, one run), Luke Smyers (2 for 3, two runs, one RBI, one triple), Dylan Hudson (1 for 3, one run), Garrett Mason (1 for 2, two runs, one RBI), Cole Powers (3 runs, one RBI), Jake Harris (2 for 2, two RBIs), and Drew Spears (2 for 3, one run, one RBI, one double). Versus Deep Run, Smyers had a strong day on the mound, going the distance with 10 strikeouts and just four hits allowed. Hudson, Mason and Harris led the way offensively, each going 2 for 4 totaling three runs and four RBIs as a whole. These wins give Godwin a tie with Freeman for the top spot in Region 5C, as the two teams have a split record head to head this spring. Their last two games will have many playoff implications: they’ll face Midlothian (7-8-1) in their next game on the road, then will host Glen Allen (10-2) this Friday.

Hermitage High School

The Panthers’ baseball team improved to 4-13 on the season after a 13-7 victory over Maggie Walker last week. Nick Suitte led the way with a monstrous game, going 2 for 3 at the plate with three runs, four RBIs, one triple and one home run. Brody Davis also had a strong day, going 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs. Semaj Adams had four runs on the day with two stolen bases, while Hayden Koontz and Conner Wharton each scored one run. Their next game will be at home versus Prince George (5-12) this week.

Highland Springs High School

The Springers’ football team is coming off of a strong week of recruiting, with four players receiving Division 1 offers. All Metro/All Region offensive lineman Rae’Qwon Taylor received yet another offer this offseason, this time from North Carolina A&T. Other offers Taylor has received include Virginia State University, Wingate University and Morgan State University. All-state selections Brennan Johnson and Jakyre Henley, and All-Metro selection Noah Jenkins each received offers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte last Friday. This is Johnson’s sixth Division 1 offer, joining others from Boston College, Ole Miss, Old Dominion, Penn State and Miami (Ohio) that took place during the season. For Henley, this is his fourth Division 1 offer, and he has received heavy interest from schools such as Virginia Tech, Marshall and William & Mary. Lastly, Jenkins, a three-star athlete for the Class of 2024, is now 19 offers deep as he prepares for his senior season, including heavy interests from Virginia Tech, Penn State and South Carolina.

Tucker High School

The Tigers’ baseball squad improved to 7-11 on the season after their 11-3 victory against Maggie Walker last week. Peyton Hinton was the leader for Tucker offensively, going 2 for 4 at the plate, totaling two runs, two RBIs, one double and one triple. Justin Helberg and Andrew Choi also went 2 for 4 on the day. Helberg had two runs and a double, while Choi had one run and two RBIs. Yamal Ferguson also had a strong day, going 1 for 3 with two RBIs and one double. Caleb Wood led the way for the Tigers on the mound, allowing just two hits and striking out four batters in three innings. Their next game will be against Deep Run (9-9) this week.

Varina High School

Varina’s softball squad improved to 5-11 on the season after a 16-4 victory over the Henrico Warriors. Leading the way was junior Hailey Butler, who dominated both at the plate and on the mound. Butler pitched five innings, allowing just three hits and struck out 14 batters. Offensively, she went 3 for 4 with four runs and three RBIs with two of her hits being triples. Other notable performers included Willow Nash, who went 2 for 3 with one run and three RBIs; Jordan Walker, who went 1 for 2 with two runs and an RBI; and Makayla Shearon, who went 1 for 2 as well with one run and an RBI. The Blue Devils’ next matchup will be at home against Mechanicsville (7-12).