Pair of aces

After losing 4-0 to Gainesville in the state softball semifinals on May 6 in Vero Beach, the Pirates had an important reason to feel they might go even farther next season.

Make that two reasons.

Junior pitchers Ali Yawn and Lexie Phelps will be back.

Yawn and Phelps have taken turns dominating on the mound for a Pirates team that finished 23-3 after losing to the eventual state champ. Gainesville beat Lake Region 1-0 on May 7 for the title.

Braden River coach Melissa Dowling went with Yawn in the state semifinal and she responded with a three-hitter over six innings. Three of the four runs she allowed were unearned as she tried to match Gainesville's Katie Chronister, who will next pitch for the University of Florida. Chronister also threw a three-hitter.

It had to be a tough choice for Dowling since both Yawn and Phelps have shown outstanding confidence in both their own ability and in their teammates. They both excelled whether starting or pitching in a relief situation.

As a unit, they hurled the Pirates to district and regional championships, along with Braden River's first berth in the state semifinals since 2011. Braden River lost in the regional quarterfinals the previous two seasons.

“This was the first time any of us had gone this far, so it meant the world to all of us,” Yawn said. 

Yawn didn't know she was going to get the call against Gainesville until she was standing in the bullpen warming up opposite senior catcher Kylie Toler. It was a similar situation throughout the postseason.

“We have two No. 1s,” Dowling said. “I have two aces, and I’m confident putting either one of them on the mound.”

Over the course of the regular season, Yawn and Phelps typically alternated games as Braden River played in a new district. Dowling was able to allow them limit their pitch count.

Heading into the postseason, Dowling took a different approach, throwing the pitcher who was the best fit for the opponent. It continued to be a tough choice for Dowling because Yawn and Phelps did such a nice job limiting their mistakes.

“If you miss, you’re going to get beat,” Dowling said. “That was big thing for both of them to learn. Good teams are going to take advantage of your mistakes; and those two have been able to limit their mistakes.”

Yawn and Phelps both earned starts throughout the postseason with Phelps having pitched in the Pirates' regional quarterfinal game after having closed out the district championship game, and Yawn pitching both the regional semifinal and final games. 

“They know we need them to be the best they can be, so they work hard not only pitching, but defensively off the mound,” senior first baseman Bethaney Keen said. 

Heading into the state semifinals, Yawn had posted 12 wins, including five shutouts, in 14 starts with a 2.36 earned run average and 58 strikeouts. Phelps added 10 wins with a 1.92 ERA and 39 strikeouts. 

“They both bring life to the team, never losing hope or confidence,” junior Sarah Crawford said.

Yawn is a natural competitor according to Dowling. And when she isn't pitching, she can be used as a utility player, allowing the Pirates to put her at a position or have her pinch-run or pinch-hit.

Phelps has been at her best under pressure on the mound, and also is an offensive force.

The duo arrived at Braden River three years ago on the heels of Pirates' standout Courtney Mirabella’s departure. 

For four years, the Pirates had been Mirabella’s team. She was the face of Braden River softball who was a three-time Class 7A Pitcher of the Year. Mirabella finished her senior year with the best earned run average in the state at 0.23 and collected the second most strikeouts in the state with 288 en route to earning Player of the Year honors. 

“As freshmen, we put a lot of stress on ourselves to do everything,” Phelps said. “At least for me, I was so scared that I had to be perfect.” 

Now, Phelps has learned to rely more on the strength of her teammates rather than trying to carrying the weight of an entire team on her shoulders. 

“Defense and offense are a big part of everything we’ve ever done,” Phelps said. “Our team is just different, but I like it better.” 

Mirabella led the Pirates to their first state semifinal appearance in 2011 after striking out a school record 21 batters in a 1-0, 11-inning regional championship victory over Barron Collier. 

While they may not have been able to put up the same statistical numbers as Mirabella, Yawn and Phelps were able to lead the Pirates back to the state semifinals. 

“We wanted to be the last Manatee County school standing,” Yawn said. “We wanted to prove everyone wrong, everyone who said we are not any good. We wanted to do it for our school.” 

And the goal of winning a state championship still seems attainable with both back next season.

“It would be historic,” Phelps said. “It’s a goal that no one else at Braden River has achieved.”