'That's kind of scary': Gators softball signee Oxley, Bartow storm to 9-0 start
BARTOW — Bartow senior pitcher Red Oxley was hobbling around on crutches last September following knee surgery that kept her off the softball field. She said then she expected to be ready for the high school season when practice began in January.
Oxley was more than ready.
The Florida Gators signee threw 62-63 mph in her first pitching session back and is stronger and better than ever as she leads defending state champion Bartow’s dominating start to the 2024 season.
Oxley is relaxing this week on her senior cruise after winning the program's Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday. In the championship game, she pitched four no-hit innings with nine strikeouts in the Yellow Jackets’ 7-0 victory over Lake Region. She also pitched a one-hitter in a 1-0 victory on Friday as she struck out 16 of the 23 batters she faced.
High school softball: Bartow captures 9th state title with big 7th inning
Preview: Here are Polk County's top 20 softball players plus 64 more players to watch in 2024
After surgery. Oxley was on crutches for eight weeks then began training about three weeks after she was walking again. She did some light throwing in December but it wasn’t until January the she was able to let loose and pitch.
The layoff, she said, has helped her improve.
“When I came back, in my first pitching session, I didn't miss a pitch from full distance,” she said. “I hit all of my pitches, not one was a ball, all of them were right where they're supposed to be, throwing crisp. So I think it overall helped me immensely. Getting in the gym like I had to helped me mentally pitching because I understand more. OK, this is a set. I treat like each set like, 'OK, let me go hard for each set' type thing. So I think that helped me a lot mentally too.”
Oxley is 6-0 with a 0.00 ERA and has allowed just two hits in 29 IP. She has struck out 74 of the 91 batters she has faced.
“She’s better,” Bartow coach Glenn Rutenbar said. “She’s gotten better every year, and that’s kind of scary.”
It’s not just Oxley shutting down opponents. Through nine games, Bartow has allowed one run. Sophomore Ryleigh Knowlton got wins in the tournament over Plant City, 12-1, and Auburndale, 10-0. Freshman Brooklyn Tyson pitched three shutout innings against Lake Region.
Oxley, who also is batting .375 with 10 RBIs, enjoys being a mentor to the younger pitchers, including the left-handed Tyson.
“She's really good,” Oxley said. “I see a lot of my little self in her and it makes me happy. We haven't seen her pitch like a whole game yet, but whenever she comes in she does her job and she's always looking to get better. She always comes in and ask me for advice, which makes me feel good. She's really good and she has such a good attitude. I think she's gonna be really good for Bartow. And then Ryleigh also pitches. She's got way better too. She's got way more accurate, way more spin, tighter, spin, way more movement. Um, she's gotten so much better mentally, she's developed, she's matured and that's what it takes to be a pitcher.”
Only two of Bartow’s first nine game have been close. Oxley needed to pitch the one-hit shutout to beat Montverde and, earlier this season, the Yellow Jackets beat Lake Region 3-0. The other seven wins have been by at least seven runs, including six by double digits.
“The energy is totally different (from last year) because I feel like we know what it means to win state now,” she said. “And so, we know what we’re working for. I feel like none of us had won state before so none of us know what it felt like to like. And now we are something to go for ,and the inner core competition right now is through the roof because there’s 21 of us.”
Indeed, Bartow has depth, which makes getting the lineup competitive. Seven positions are set, but left field and second base remain in flux. Except for struggling to get the one run against Montverde, Bartow coach Glenn Rutenbar doesn’t any complaints.
“We’ve allowed just one run, so that’s always good,” he said. “But we’ve got a long ways to go.”
Bartow expects to see some strong competition when it comes back from spring break and plays in Palm Harbor in late March then the Kissimmee Klassic in the first week of April.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida softball signee Red Oxley improves after surgery for Bartow
