June 30, 2024
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — After mustering only two hits in the first three innings, Warrior Academy 18u exploded for a massive 11-run fourth frame during Saturday’s 12-8 P5 fastpitch event win over TC Colorado.
All nine Warrior Academy batters reached base in some form during the lengthy inning, which featured eight singles and a two-run triple from Mia Bennette. The onslaught of insurance runs proved valuable as Warrior Academy left Horsetooth Field, located on the Triple Crown Sports campus, with its first victory of the event.
“We were having a better approach seeing the ball and were allowing it to get to them,” head coach Ray McDonald said of his team’s fourth-inning approach. “They were putting the barrel on it. We've been a little early or a little late all week. Hopefully, we can get in stride, and get in the groove heading into the next week down at the power pools.”
To make the offensive barrage even more impressive, things hadn’t been going Warrior Academy’s way often since arriving in Fort Collins. The Northern California-based club program lost its first four games of the event, including a 20-4 defeat against Strykers National Esparza immediately before facing TC Colorado.
“We didn't get down on ourselves,” said Bennette, a class of 2026 shortstop splitting time with Warrior Academy’s 16u team. “We really bounced back and didn't let losing like that bring us down.”
Warrior Academy finished the inaugural P5 fastpitch event with an overall record of 1-4 while TC Colorado closed at 0-5.
Up 11-4 with two outs in the fifth inning, second baseman Taylor Workman added another exclamation point to Warrior Academy’s outburst by blasting an opposite-field home run over Horsetooth’s left-center fence. Workman admitted that off the bat, she thought her fly ball would be caught. But instead of returning to the dugout in regret, the class of 2027 infielder was greeted at home by celebrating teammates.
“I was really tense all day, so I was just trying to be loose and get back to my single to the left approach,” Workman said. “(That) helps me get to every pitch I need.”
In the eyes of McDonald, Workman’s surname fits her well.
“Workman's work ethic is off the chart,” McDonald said. “She's a leader vocally both offensively and defensively. She's the best player in our program. She leads by example and by actions. Verbally, she's just a born leader, a born ballplayer. That kid is religiously in the cage every day for an hour, hour-and-a-half working her tail off, and you see it.”
Maya Yumiba, Nina Montenegro, Bennette and Workman each finished with two hits on the afternoon while Brianna Padilla and Georgetown commit Allison Lui split time in the circle.
TC Colorado, which led 4-0 after three innings, had three players manage two hits: Lindsey Hinson, Julia Maegher and Tess Williamson. Emory University signee Addison Kwong also slugged a two-run triple in TC Colorado's four-run fifth.
