By John Knebels • Posted May 17, 2024

With runners at second and third, Archbishop Wood sophomore pitcher Jackie Cobb lined a shot up the right-centerfield alley and sped past first base on the way to second. As both teammates crossed the plate, Cobb kept running and slid into third.

Out of position, the umpire called her out. He was mistaken. Replays showed that the third baseman missed the tag, but the decision stood. Cobb rose to her feet, slapped hands with her third-base coach, and jogged back to the dugout.

In five-seed Wood’s 17-6 Philadelphia Catholic League softball quarterfinal victory at four-seed Cardinal O’Hara Monday afternoon, Cobb’s base-running venture was the only thing that didn’t go her way.

Three nights later in the PCL semifinals, Cobb and the Vikings gave top-seed Archbishop Ryan fits before dropping a 5-3 decision. Still, Cobb and her teammates’ performance in the quarters deserve to be recognized.

“I was pretty annoyed because I knew that I was safe,” said Cobb, a graduate of Warminster’s Nativity of Our Lord grade school. “But I was happy that it scored two runs.”

Before Cobb’s one-out, two-run double in the sixth, the Vikings’ commanding third-inning, 8-1 lead had dwindled to 8-6 with two outs and a runner on third base in the bottom of the fourth. The host Lions clearly possessed momentum.

Cobb, however, halted pending disaster when she struck out O’Hara’s cleanup hitter to end the fourth. A strong fifth inning surrendered a one-out single, which was promptly nullified when junior catcher Sophia Azzarano’s peg to second nailed an attempted steal.

After her two-run double scored sophomores Maddie Conlon and Allie Higdon (three runs scored) to give Wood a 10-6 lead, Cobb struck out two Lions in the sixth. Aided by sophomore Maura Yoos’ fifth hit of the game – a three-run, inside-the-park home run, giving her five runs batted in and four runs scored – along with a two-run single by junior Kat Freligh (three hits, two runs scored), a run-scoring double by Azzarano (three hits, two RBI), and an RBI single by Cobb (three hits, three RBI), the Vikings scored seven runs in the seventh.

Cobb finished off O’Hara with her fourth strikeout. Her complete-game effort yielded two earned runs, 10 hits, and three walks. Cobb particularly shined over the pivotal final three and one-third innings, during which she permitted three harmless singles and notched all four of her whiffs.

“They had started to get on my pitches so I had to change the style and spin to mix it up,” said Cobb, explaining her strategy after O’Hara had come within two runs. “It was huge for me and my defense to have them seeing different spin that they hadn’t seen all game.”

After a three-hit, three-RBI performance on offense, Cobb proved that she’s much more than just a pitcher. Contributing the key hit of the game – who knows what would have happened if O’Hara trailed by two instead of four heading into the sixth? – spoke of Cobb’s ability to produce in the clutch.

“When I came up to bat, I knew that everyone believed in me,” said Cobb. “My approach was to hit the first pitch. Just get a little single, which turned into a double. As much as I enjoy pitching, getting on base after a good hit just makes a player feel so good. I’m glad that I could deliver my best to the team today, as they really backed me up with a great game.”

Among those who “backed up” Cobb, senior Parker Kraus slugged a two-run, inside-the-park homer in the third inning. One of the PCL’s fastest runners, it took the fleet center fielder fewer than 12 seconds to round the bases.

In the fourth, Kraus nearly made a spectacular nab of O’Hara junior Hayden Sissons’ two-run triple. That the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Division I signee even got a glove on the ball during a full sprint from left-center to right-center testified to her outfield acumen.

“It has been great to watch Jackie develop,” said Kraus. “She goes out, throws strikes, hits her spots, and stays level-headed no matter the situation. She’s beginning to take on more of a leadership role. She is somebody who the team gets behind.

“Jackie pitches to contact and that helps keep us in the game and ready for the next play. We like to give her the confidence that when they put the ball in play, we will play solid defense.”

Wood coach Jackie Ecker continues to be impressed with Cobb’s ascent.

“Jackie has been a quiet but fierce competitor on the mound this year for us and has stayed composed no matter what the situation,” said Ecker. “Jackie is a team player and just gets out there and does her best. She works hard both on pitching and hitting. She makes solid contact and continues to advance runners.”

Taking over for last year’s star hurler now playing at Arcadia University, Dakota Fanelli, Cobb has established herself as a key component moving forward.

“It has been a blast getting to know my teammates and other teams,” said Cobb. “As I play each game, I realize what I need to do to make myself better, whether it’s hitting or pitching. I always try to keep a fun and positive attitude while playing because it lets my teammates know that I have trust in them. Maintaining that same attitude throughout the game gives me the strength to do my best and what’s best for my teammates.”

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Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com or on ‘X’ – formerly Twitter – @johnknebels.