Owen makes it eight straight in home victory
Warlassies remain atop Western Highlands Conference with 12-2 win over Madison
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 17, 2026
Many of the youngest softball fans in the Swannanoa Valley were in attendance, April 16, as the Warlassies hosted Western Highlands Conference rival Madison, and the home team did not disappoint.
Owen scored 3 runs in the bottom of the first inning on Youth Night, en route to the program’s eighth straight victory.
The reigning WHC champions entered the contest with a 9-0 mark in the conference, including a 12-9 win on the road, April 14, in Madison County. As junior Mia Roland stepped into the pitcher’s circle for the second game of the regular season series, her Warlassies teammates provided more than enough offensive support.
Senior catcher Easton Whitson drove in two runs with a double in the top of the opening inning to put Owen ahead, before coming around to score and establishing a 3-0 lead for Owen. The Warlassies added 4 runs in the third inning and 2 additional runs in the fourth, as the Patriots responded with 2 runs in the following frame.
Roland, who amassed 8 strikeouts in 6 innings pitched, was walked three times in the contest and collected a single in her only official at-bat. The junior stole 3 bases and scored from second, following a Whitson single in the bottom of the sixth inning, activating the Run Rule and clinching the victory. Whitson finished the night with a team-leading 5 runs batted in, while Roland scored 4 times in as many appearances at the plate.
Seven of the starting nine Warlassies recorded at least one single in the victory, while more than half of the lineup notched at least one RBI. The players were approached by local youth softball players, seeking autographs, following the win.
“Yesterday, when we showed up at practice, our leadership council really emphasized accountability, and talked about how we hadn’t been playing our brand of softball. The level of intensity in that practice ended up making it one of our best this year,” first-year Owen head coach Jeff Grier said. “To see how they responded today, how they came out and performed, really reestablished our standard.”
Owen was 5-2 through its first seven games, prior to four consecutive series against WHC competition. The team, since March 20, has outscored Avery, Mitchell, Hendersonville and Madison by a combined total of 111-16. In that span, Roland, who committed to the University of South Carolina softball program last fall, has established herself among the top players in the state. The shortstop and pitcher is batting .844 with an on base percentage of .912, 34 RBI, 10 home runs and 16 stolen bases on 16 attempts.
In her role as pitcher, a position she had not played since the eighth grade before joining Owen’s rotation this season, Roland holds a 5-1 record, with 56 strikeouts with a 5.25 earned run average in 36 innings.
“When Coach (Emiley) Burriss, who does a tremendous job with pitchers and catchers, and I got here, Mia told us she had pitching experience, but not in high school. We weren’t sure how many pitchers we would have, so she volunteered to ‘give it a try,’” Grier said. “Well, she had 8 strikeouts tonight, so she’s doing a lot more than just trying.”
While Roland’s performance this season has been noteworthy, the key to Owen’s success has been the widespread production throughout the lineup. Whitson, who committed to Francis Marion University last November, is hitting .520 with 31 RBI and 5 home runs.
“She had herself a ball game tonight,” Grier said. “She had a home run and ended up with 5 RBI. Teams walk Mia, which is really out of the respect she has earned, but Easton has done a great job of making them pay.”
With only one senior on the roster, many juniors, including Payten Brockman and Kylie Gurekey, have been consistent offensive threats for the Warlassies. Brockman is batting .490 with 17 RBI in 15 games, while Gurekey has hit .420, driving in 16 runs, and notched a 7-1 record while posting a 1.86 ERA and striking out 56 in the pitcher’s circle.
Sophomores, like Cadyn Pressley and Katie Knighton, have also elevated their play, according to Grier.
“Katie was tremendous tonight,” the coach said. “Her bat really came to life and she had a couple of RBI. And, Avery Boone was, herself, a two-out rally tonight.”
With five games remaining in the regular season, the Warlassies, who have won 22 straight WHC contests since 2025, will rely on the approach that has established a 13-2 record this season, according to Grier.
“We take it one game at a time, control what we can control and try to meet our goals every game,” he said. “If we focus on playing our brand of softball, we can all work together to keep building on that.”
Owen will take a break from conference play, at 6 p.m., Monday, April 20, when it hosts East Henderson, before traveling to North Henderson and Enka. A final conference series, which begins at home, at 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 28, against Mountain Heritage, will precede Owen’s final regular season game, which is on the road, Friday, May 1.
Photos of Owen’s home victory over Madison can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.