Pitching performances were productive on Friday as Coloma swept host Brandywine 3-0 and 5-4 in a Lakeland Conference doubleheader.

A dependable defense also determined the victor as the visiting Comets played 16 innings without a defensive miscue.

Coloma (8-5, 4-0) pitched senior Jenny Wallace in the opener, who hurled a three-hit and eight-strikeout performance to blank the Bobcats.

Freshman Emily Najacht had to go nine innings in the nightcap for the victory and allowed seven base hits with 14 batters being called out on three strikes.

“In the first game, Jenny (Wallace) pitched well by keeping the ball low as we played good solid defense and Emily (Najacht) pitched fantastic, but our own bone headed mistakes giving extra bases let her down,” commented Coloma coach Wendy Goodline. “The first game our defense was especially strong, but made some mental mistakes in the second game as our pitcher hung in there and has a bright future.”

Brandywine (3-7, 0-4) pitched junior Brande Overholt in the opener, who gave up only two earned runs with five strikeouts against a formidable Comet batting order. Sophomore Mikayla Kemp went into overtime in the thrilling second game and was one pitch away from a possible triumph.

“Both of the pitchers did extremely well and (Mikayla) Kemp has worked hard on all her pitches and they were working against a strong Coloma hitting line-up,” boasted Brandywine coach Angie Mellott. “Our defense stepped up from previous games, but we need still to get better with some areas of concern as missing some routine fly balls cost us the second game.”

All three hits by Brandywine were singles with sophomore Rachael Ort and juniors Ellie Price and Madison Pellow having one apiece.

The Bobcats committed a pair of errors in each game as the first run of the night helped the Comets cross the plate in the fourth inning of the opener, because of a misplay in the field.

Senior Julie Timm hit her third home run of the year in the fifth stanza over the center field fence and then knocked in a teammate with a single in her next at bat for the final tally. Timm also had three singles off Kemp in the nightcap.

“Julie (Timm) played well in both games and has been huge all season with a big bat,” noted Goodline.

An error by Brandywine gave up two runs in the sixth inning to break up the scoreless duel between Kemp and Najacht. But this time the Bobcats answered with a trio of tallies in the bottom of the stanza to take the lead with the hurler helping her own cause with a two-run single down the right-field line.

Kemp retired the first batter in the top of the seventh with a strikeout and two outs away from a 3-2 win when last place hitter sophomore Mercedes Angelo sent a 0-2 pitch over the left-field fence to knot the score.

“That was the second time this year she (Angelo) did that as last Saturday she came through for us as we are solid throughout the line-up,” stated Goodline. “Brandywine played fantastic and the shortstop (Paige Jeffrey) was phenomenal as they didn’t beat themselves.”

The Comets took the lead in the top of the ninth on a RBI triple by freshman Alexa Summers, who crossed home plate after a single by sophomore Chelsea Carotenuto for a 5-3 advantage.

Kemp narrowed the deficit to 5-4 with a single and made it to third base, when Pellow hit a line drive toward right field, but Comet senior Kaitlyn Sink sunk the hosts hopes by grabbing the liner near first base before snaring it with her bare hand as it was falling to the ground.

“We need to hit with more power to win these close games, but Paige (Jeffrey) made some awesome plays at shortstop,” mentioned Mellott. “We are much better than we were last year as we need more game experience due to the weather.”

First game

Coloma 000 110 1 – 3 8 0

Brandywine 000 000 0 – 0 3 2

Jenny Wallace (W) and Katie Scheuer

Brande Overholt (L) and Rachael Ort

2B: Emily Najacht and Mercedes Angelo (C)

HR: Julie Timm (C)

Second game

Coloma 000 002 102 – 5 11 0

Brandywine 000 003 001 – 4 7 2

Emily Najacht (W) and Katie Scheuer

Mikayla Kemp (L) and Rachael Ort

2B: Ort (B)

3B: Chelsea Carotenuto and Alexa Summers (C)

HR: Mercedes Angelo (C)

Varsity records: Coloma 8-5, 4-0 Lakeland; Brandywine 3-7, 0-4 Lakeland