Jessica Brock logged significant innings for the Lady Longhorns last year, even giving her team a chance to win against Lakeside in the finals of the state tournament a year ago. So pretty much everyone involved knew that the junior would do a respectable job as the team’s No. 1 pitcher this year.

But what no one could reasonably expect are the results the hurler has produced thus far.

As the Lady Longhorns’ top pticher, Brock has helped her team to a 10-0 start. Impressive. But then there is her performance over the weekend.

She tossed five innings Friday night against reigning Class AAA champion Glenwood. She yielded only two hits, three walks and no earned runs while striking out four in the game.

She returned to the circle Saturday to close out a win against Wilcox, pitching two more innings and stroking out five of the six batters she faced.

Brock then shutout Macon-East with five more innings of work that saw two hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Then she followed her own performance with a four-inning win over Tuscaloosa Academy that featured two hits, two walks, one earned run and four strikeouts.

In the final game of the weekend, Brock sustained an injury during the second inning, giving up two his and fanning two before exiting.

Brock bounced back Monday with a four-inning, five-strikeout, two-hit gem shutout against Morgan Academy.

All total, Brock’s four-day span included 21 innings of work that saw eight hits, seven walks, one earned run, 21 strikeouts, four wins and a save. That’s pretty strong evidence that Marengo Academy believers were right to have faith in their underclassman standout. And if she can continue anything close to that level of success, there is a strong chance she just may see Lakeside again somewhere down the line.

— Jeremy D. Smith