Lady Vandals rolling with 2 aces in circle

Published 11:58 pm Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Van coach Craig Ham would rather keep Friday’s starting pitcher a secret — and no one should blame him.

Ham benefits from having two aces — rare in high school softball — and that provides double trouble. The hurlers are polar opposites in their deliveries — one is a righty and the other a lefty.

“It will be a game-time decision,” Ham laughed.

In the round for the first time in four years, tradition-rich Van (29-5-1) meets district rival Mineola (27-8) in the Class 3A Region II final this weekend at the UT Tyler Ballpark. Game 1 of the best-of-three series is set for 7 p.m. Friday.

Sierra Nichols and Autumn McKinney have teamed up for a 1-2 punch in the circle this season, helping give the Lady Vandals the District 15-3A title (Mineola placed second) and putting them on the brink of reaching state for the first time since 2006. The tandem has done so in different ways; Nichols with her consistent and savvy right arm and McKinney with her crafty and deceptive left arm.

Nichols (junior) is 13-0 on the season with a 1.98 ERA and 57 strikeouts, while McKinney (junior) is 12-3 with a 1.53 ERA and 117 Ks.

“A lot of teams are dependent on one pitcher, so I think that’s been the advantage for us,” Ham said. “Having two pitchers that are different has been big.”

Nichols doesn’t pitch for strikeouts but instead tries for popups and groundouts, using her understanding of the game to her benefit. She’s also good at making in-game adjustments and has a strong will for victory, Ham said.

McKinney, meanwhile, has a lot of movement on her pitches and simply “goes about her business,” Ham said.

“They don’t have the same strengths,” Ham said. “It’s hard to explain.”

There are more reasons for Van being one round from Austin.

Offense has also been key in the long playoff run, because the Lady Vandals have been one of those rare teams that bat effectively throughout the order.

The 10-deep lineup consists of Hallee Carter (.444, 12 doubles 7 triples, home run, 31 RBIs); Jasmin Gipson (.343 7 doubles, homer, 32 RBIs); Ashlin Lovett (.319 5 doubles, triple, 9 RBIs); McKinney (.385 7 doubles, 2 triples, homer, 27 RBIs); Kylee Moore (.319, 7 doubles, homer, 14 RBIs); and Nichols (.360 5 doubles, triple, 7 homers, 35 RBIs).

It also includes Chelsey Trejo (.373, 3 doubles, triple, 15 RBIs); Brittany Goode (.247, 4 doubles, homer, 13 RBIs); Haleigh Moore (.312, triple, homer, two RBIs); and Caitlann Peden (.222 double, 2 triples, 2 RBIs).

“Most people we face it’s probably one through four or five, basically,” Ham said. “When you hit one through nine that just puts that much more pressure on the pitcher and the defense. You are not depending on one person. In the playoffs we’ve had our number nine hit it out.

“Anywhere through there we’ve got a chance to get on base and have. It helps tremendously.”

Van and Mineola split their regular-season meetings. Mineola won the first matchup, 11-0, and Van took the second, 1-0, to claim the league title.

In the second meeting, the Lady Vandals escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh at Mineola.

Last season, Van went 22-8 and reached the area round.