In what could (or should) be the toughest stretch of their 2025 schedule, the Ladycats softball team ripped off wins over #9 Lone Jack last Tuesday and then, as part of the Mount Vernon Tournament on Friday and Saturday, notched wins over then #1 Diamond, #5 East Newton, #8 Houston and #2 Mount Vernon.
Sandwiched in between ranked opponents was a shellacking of Versailles at home on Thursday night. The wins propelled Warsaw to a record of 10-1, with their lone loss coming to Bentonville (AR) at the Ozarks Softball Classic. Bentonville currently sits at #24 in the entire country in the latest rankings released by The Sporting News.
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Last Tuesday, Warsaw took a 3-1 lead over #9 Lone Jack into the fifth inning when they rallied for 4 runs to extend their lead to 7-1.
After drawing three straight walks to start the inning, Brylee Brewster forced in 1 run after being hit by a pitch. With 2 outs, Haylee Cobb scored on a passed ball and Brewster scored on a wild pitch before Elizabeth Winters scored Emmersyn Miskell on a RBI single to right field.
That cushion was more than enough for Brewster, who took over from there. The senior lefty K'd 6 of the last 9 outs with no real threat in between.
Warsaw added 2 more runs in the top of the sixth for the 9-1 final.
Adison Sherrill, Winters and Maylee Slavens all tallied 2 hits for the Ladycats.
Brewster struck out a total of 14 to get the win in the circle.
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On Thursday, Brewster made quick work of the Versailles Lady Tigers by tossing her second no-hitter of the year in a 15-0 rout of their OHC visitors.
Warsaw scored 1 in the first and then whipped up 5 and 6 runs in each of the second and third innings before capping their scoring in the fourth with 3 more runs to mercy rule their guests, 15-0.
Brewster went all 4 innings and struck out 12. Besides allowing 0 hits in the contest, she also surrendered 0 free passes.
Cobb paced the Ladycats offense with 3 hits, including her first homerun of the season, while 2 each were added by Sherrill, Sara Miller and Brewster.
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At the Mount Vernon Tournament that started on Friday, the task was tall for the Ladycats as they faced the defending state champion and undefeated #1 ranked team in the Diamond Wildcats, but Warsaw got on the board with 2 runs in the top of the first and never looked back in an 11-0 shutout win behind another no-hit performance by Brewster.
After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first, Brewster fanned the first 6 batters she faced. The Ladycats tallied 2 more runs in the third on a triple by Miskell and 1 more when she scored on a sacrifice by Mady Reimund to extend the Warsaw lead to 5-0.
One more run in the fourth made it 6-0 and then 2 in the fifth and 3 more in the seventh made it all Warsaw in an 11-0 upset as they handed Diamond just their second loss in two seasons.
Brewster finished with 15 strikeouts and walked just 1 in another dazzling outing.
Cobb had 3 hits for Warsaw while 2 each were contributed by Miller, Brewster, Miskell and Winters. One of Miskell's was a 2-run homerun, the first of her career for the Ladycats.
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Against #5 East Newton, Brewster was dominant in the circle as she rung up 18 strikeouts to lead Warsaw to a 5-0 win over the Lady Patriots.
Brewster gave up 0 runs on just 2 hits over seven innings and walked none.
With the game scoreless, Warsaw jumped on top in the fourth inning on a Winters single. Sherrill reached on an error that scored a run, Miller scored another run with a sacrifice bunt and then Brewster aided her own cause with a 2-run triple to claim a 5-0 lead. The Ladycats hung on from there with that score also being the final.
Brewster went 2 for 4 in the win while 1 hit each came from Warsaw's 7-8-9 batters; Winters, Slavens and Braylee Cunningham.
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On Saturday, the Ladycats started a little slow, but rallied to win big over #8 Houston, 12-4.
A sacrifice fly by Cobb put Warsaw on the board in the bottom of the first, 1-0. A single by Sherrill in the second also drove in a run for a 2-0 Warsaw lead.
The Ladycats added more in the third after Winters singled and Slavens hit a sacrifice fly that both scored runs to make it 4-0.
After scoring 3 in the fourth, Warsaw exploded for 5 runs in the sixth to extend their lead on a RBI groundout by Winters, a Slavens double that scored 2, a Reimund triple that scored one and another run scored on a ball hit by Sherrill and misplayed by the Tigers defense.
Brewster was a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate while 2 hits apiece were added by Sherrill, Cobb and Reimund.
Bri Fellers led things off in the circle for Warsaw. She surrendered 4 runs on 4 hits over 4.2 innings. She struck out 6 and walked just 1 to get the win. Brewster threw the final 2.1 innings and struck out 7.
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Against the #2 ranked Mountaineers of Mount Vernon in their tournament finale on Saturday, Warsaw got another prime-time performance from Brewster as she rung up 14 strikeouts in the Ladycats 2-0 win.
She allowed just 1 hit over 7 innings and gave up 0 walks.
In what ended up being a defensive battle, Warsaw got on the board in the first inning on a fielder's choice by Brewster that scored Miller to put the Ladycats in front 1-0.
The only other run scored in the game came in the top of the fifth after Sherrill drew a walk after seeing 6 pitches and then later scored on a single by Cobb.
With the ball miscued by the Mountaineer's center fielder, Cobb rounded third but was punched out at the plate on a more-than-close (and one could say "controversial") call. Nevertheless, the Ladycats pushed ahead 2-0 and that would be the final.
Winters led Warsaw with 2 hits in three trips to the plate. Cobb tallied 1 for the Ladycats.
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With many starters getting some much deserved rest, Warsaw still destroyed Lakeland on Monday, 18-3.
Bri Fellers got the win in the circle for the Ladycats.
Braylee Cunningham led the team with 3 hits.
Warsaw (11-1) will be back at home on Thursday to welcome Crest Ridge to town.
