WEST SALEM — Josie Brudos is a true menace to opposing pitching.
The West Salem High School junior certainly makes those standing in the circle more than a little tentative when she steps into a batter’s box.
The seven home runs and .533 batting average — she slugs 1.083 — that have set up the stretch run to the regular season are more than impressive and present any number of problems to anyone trying to make her one of three outs they need that inning.
She can hit softballs over the fence, she can park them in outfield gaps, and she can drive them past infielders. That ability has played a significant role in West Salem getting the chance at winning the Coulee Conference outright this season.
The Panthers (14-4 overall, 10-1 Coulee) get sole ownership of the conference title if they win at third-place G-E-T (13-6, 8-3) on Thursday. A win for the Red Hawks means West Salem shares the championship with Arcadia (15-7, 10-2).
But while the Red Hawks face the challenge of retiring Brudos at the plate, they may face a bigger one in their attempt to put anyone on base or push across a run or two against the pitching of Brudos.
“I keep telling her that her money’s made in the circle,” West Salem coach Brian Babiash said after the Panthers blanked G-E-T 4-0 on Monday. “Anything extra for us comes when she’s at the plate.
“After 22 years of doing this thing, I can tell you you’ll be good if you have someone who can throw the ball, and she does a phenomenal job of throwing the ball.”
Those pitching numbers are even more impressive after Brudos struck out 17 Red Hawks this week.
The Winona State University commit has pitched 97 innings this season, and she has put together an ERA of 1.37 with 68 hits allowed and 155 strikeouts. Brudos is in her third season as West Salem’s regular pitcher and is still something opposing hitters can’t figure out.
Conference opponents have managed 36 hits and turned them into six earned runs over 62 2/3 innings. Brudos has 113 strikeouts against 18 walks during that time.
“I worked on hitting spots and being more consistent,” Brudos, who averaged 13.7 points during the basketball season and had 167 kills during volleyball season, said of her offseason. “I did more on working outside the zone and being able to have a variety of pitches.”
Brudos also receives a boost from the connection she has with senior catcher Megan Johnson, who recently picked up her 100th career hit and caught her star pitcher’s 500th strikeout.
“We’ve talked about taking Megan out and putting her somewhere else because we have a freshman catcher who could step in,” Babisah said. “But the two of them are such good friends and so close on the diamond and so close when they come to practice.
“Everything they do is together, and it’s too hard for us to break that up because it really works.”
So does their combination as the third and fourth batters in Babiash’s lineup.
Brudos, who has driven in 35 runs, bats third and Johnson fourth. Johnson bats .453 with nine doubles, two triples and 16 RBIs.
Though Brudos hasn’t needed it, there has been plenty of offense behind her. The Panthers have used both aspects while winning 46 games and losing 17 since Brudos joined the varsity lineup and won two straight WIAA Division 2 regional championships.
Senior second baseman Maclaine Heilman is batting .355 with seven doubles, 28 runs scored, 15 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Senior first baseman Makena Ihle holds down a .333 batting average to go with 11 stolen bases and 10 RBIs.
Johnson had three hits and Heilman two RBIs in the win over G-E-T on Monday.
That kind of hitting and standard Brudos pitching will be needed the second time around and in a nonconference game at Tomah on Friday. The Timberwolves are 18-3 and received votes in Division 1 rankings by state coaches.
“It’s a great challenge for us going into the postseason,” Babiash said. “I’m glad we have them at the end of the year.”
