COURTLAND
Simply getting a hit off of Southampton Academy starting pitcher Brooke Mizelle is difficult enough. Arm her with a lineup capable of scoring 15 runs in just three innings, and the Lady Raiders just might be able to capture their first state softball championship in school history.

Mizelle, who will attend Salisbury University in the fall on athletic scholarship, breezed through the Carlisle School lineup in the top of the first, facing the minimum and registering two strikeouts.

She helped her own cause in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run to give the Lady Raiders a quick lead. Mizelle would fall a triple short of the cycle, as she only stepped into the batter’s box three times in the shortened contest.

The Raiders added four more runs in the frame to push the lead to 6-0, which included RBI singles from Kellie Ferguson and Allison Matthews.

Mizelle was able to lower her season earned run average to below one run per game. Among qualified pitchers (those that have pitched more than 50 innings), her 0.98 ERA is good for fifth state-wide.

After scoring five in the second, the Raiders only need four more runs in the third to trigger the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association Tournament run rule and advance to the second round with a 15-0 win.

Southampton Academy will return to the diamond on Thursday in Dinwiddie. The team’s semi-final opponent had not yet advanced before press time, but the game will be against either fourth-seeded Westover Christian or fifth-seeded Broadwater Academy. First pitch at the Dinwiddie Sports Complex is scheduled for 7 p.m. If the Lady Raiders advance, the championship will be on Friday, same location and time.