They say defense wins ball games and that motto rings especially true in softball where if you can be a winner in the “E” column you will likely be victorious in the “R” column.

Nearly every big softball comes down pitching and defense and Washington softball coach Doug Whitehead knows his team must excel at both if the No. 4 Pam Pack (11-12, Coastal Conference) wants to knock off No. 1 Currituck (11-2, Northeastern Coastal Conference) when the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs begin today at 7 p.m.

“Defense wins ball games and when we have been effective this year it’s because we played defense,” Whitehead said. “The pitching and hitting is going to carry us, but the defense is going to be the determining factor in the game.”

This year’s first round matchup has a familiar ring to it as the Pam Pack played Currituck last year to open the postseason and was able to knock off the Knights before losing a close battle with South Johnston in the second round. South Johnston would go on to top South Central and D.H. Conley to make it to Walnut Creek.

Though Washington will have to go without injured ace Brandi Hardison for at least one more game, junior Morgan Bryant is battled tested and has done a nice job on the hill. Bryant will look for run support from a very diverse Pam Pack lineup that features both slap and power hitters.

“When Washington High School plays good defense we are a good ball club because we got four girls who are batting over .300, a couple of girls in the high .200s and one girl over .400,” Whitehead said. “We can hit the ball. That’s the biggest difference between us last year and this year.”

Table setters Kristi Wood and Shakeria Lomax are two of the four girls who are batting over .300 and both use their speed well. Hitting behind them is Justyce McKissick, who is batting over .400 and can hit for both power and average. Also batting over .300 is Bryant, who is a very good hitter with runners on base.

While the Pack’s top of the order is loaded, Whitehead said he has a lot of confidence in his bottom of the order hitters as well.

“Beyond Nos. 3-5 we have some streak hitters,” Whitehead said. “Caroline Smith and Katelyn Singleton go through spells but they have come up with a lot of big hits for us.”

It’s Washington complete and balanced lineup that could potentially fuel a long playoff run for the Pam Pack.

“The strength of our team is our mix of speed and power,” Whitehead said. “The first two girls, Kristi and Shakeria, can get on base and wreak havoc with their speed. Then we got three girls in a row in Justyce, Morgan and Sydney Gurkin who can come up with big hits and advance those runners.

“I think if we play defense and score enough runs we can advance for several rounds of the playoffs. I’m not going to look past the first game because I think that’s a jinxable thing to do but I think we can compete. We competed against Conley and South Central this year and that’s as good of competition as it gets … By playing teams like that I think we have prepared ourselves to advance as far as we want to in the playoffs.”

If Washington manages to knock off the Knights it will advance to face the winner of the No. 1 D.H. Conley (19-4)-No. 3 Triton (12-11, Eastern Carolina Conference) game on Thursday.

NCHSAA 1-A SOFTBALL

Four area 1-A teams made the playoffs this year as Riverside, Southside, Northside and South Creek will all be in action when the postseason begins today. Riverside (17-6), the Four Rivers Conference champions, earned the No. 1 seed from that conference and will host wild card entry Mattamuskeet (5-12, Tideland). The winner of that game will move on to face the winner of the No. 2 Northampton-West-Camden (wild card) game.

No. 2 Southside (18-4 Four Rivers) will begin its playoff run at home against No. 4 North Edgecombe (8-5 Tar Roanoke). If the Seahawks can fend off an upset it will potentially set the stage for a great second round matchup with area and Four Rivers Conference rival Northside (11-9), who drew a No. 4 seed and will play No. 1 Gates (15-6, Tar Roanoke).

Grabbing the No. 5 seed out of the Four Rivers Conference was South Creek (17-5), who will be on the road against Creswell (17-6), the No. 1 seed from the Tideland Conference. Whoever wins that matchup will move forward to face the winner of the No. 2 Rosewood-No. 3 Kipp Pride game.

NCHSAA 1-A SCHEDULE

WC Mattamuskeet (5-12, Tideland) at No. 1 Riverside (17-6, Four Rivers)

No. 4 North Edgecombe (8-5, Tar Roanoke) at No. 2 Southside (18-4, Four Rivers)

No. 4 Northside (11-9, Four Rivers) at No. 1 Gates (15-6, Tar Roanoke)

No. 5 South Creek (17-5, Four Rivers) at No. 1 Creswell (17-6, Tideland)

NCHSAA 1-A BASEBALL SCHEDULE

WC Manteo (12-12, Four Rivers) at No. 1 Plymouth (20-4, Four Rivers)

No. 2 Riverside (20-4, Four Rivers at No. 1 Gates (14-8, Tar Roanoke)

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