LoudounPrepSport.com Softball Notebook: April 17
By Dan “courtesy runner” Sousa
LoudounPrepSports.com Senior Content Editor
LoudounPrepSports.com Senior Content Editor
(Apr. 17, 2009) – Briar Woods High School, on a school record six-game winning streak, not only has a chance to extend that streak to eight games in the next 24 hours, but the Falcons have a clear chance to establish themselves as the team closest on the heels of AA Dulles District frontrunner, two-time defending state champion Broad Run.
Briar Woods (4-1 in district, 6-2 overall) travels to Potomac Falls (4-1, 7-1) tonight at 6 p.m. in a marquee match-up and then the Falcons host Loudoun County (3-2, 5-2) on Saturday at noon.
How tight is this district? Consider that Broad Run (4-0, 6-1) sits on top of the standings but that two of those four district victories include a 1-0 win over Potomac Falls earlier this week and a 3-2 extra inning win at Loudoun County. The Panthers loss in Ashburn on Tuesday is their only blemish on the season that includes a 3-0 win over Loudoun County.
Briar Woods fell to Broad Run, 3-0, in the second game of the season but the Falcons have since won a school-record six straight games including their first ever win over Park View this week. Briar Woods has out-scored opponents by a 57-3 margin on the year.
In AAA: Loudoun Valley (4-1, 5-2) has to figure into any argument over the area’s top softball team, especially after the Vikes pushed No. 1 Battlefield (6-0, 9-0) into extra innings Thursday before falling 1-0. It was the Vikes for loss since opening with a loss to Stone Bridge, a team that ended Broad Run’s two-year plus winning streak before Spring Break. The Vikes are second in the Cedar Run with Osbourn Park and Stonewall Jackson each with two losses in district.
Stone Bridge (4-1, 8-2) is one game in the loss column behind Liberty District leader Madison (6-0, 9-0). The Bulldogs can make a big statement when they travel to Vienna tonight to take on the district leading Warhawks. McLean (4-1, 8-3) and Langley (3-1, 5-3) are also in the mix.
Weekend Schedule
Fri
Stone Bridge @ Madison, 6:30
Fauquier @ Loudoun Valley, 6
Briar Woods @ Potomac Falls, 6
Freedom @ Park View, 6
Heritage @ Leesburg, 6
Stone Bridge @ Madison, 6:30
Fauquier @ Loudoun Valley, 6
Briar Woods @ Potomac Falls, 6
Freedom @ Park View, 6
Heritage @ Leesburg, 6
Sat
Yorktown @ Loudoun Valley, noon
Heritage @ Broad Run, 1
Loudoun County @ Briar Woods, noon
Loudoun County @ Briar Woods, noon
Weekly Recaps
Briar Woods 7, Park View 0
The Skinny: Falcons gain first ever win over Patriots.
The Skinny: Falcons gain first ever win over Patriots.
BW assistant coach Chris Starke filed his usual awesome report after the game:
Junior Kate Fowler tossed a three-hit shutout and fellow junior Holly Dominguez went 2-for-2 with two singles, two walks and two runs scored as Briar Woods picked up its first-ever win over Park View 7-0 on a cold and rainy Tuesday night in Ashburn.
The Falcons improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Dulles District with their school-record sixth straight win, and they also matched the school single-season mark of seven shutout victories they set just last year. In eight games so far this season, Briar Woods has outscored its opponents by a combined 57-3 and has allowed just one earned run.
After trading two scoreless innings with the Patriots, Briar Woods took control of the game with four runs in the third. The Falcons loaded the bases behind a lead-off single by sophomore Alex Fierszt, a walk by
Dominguez and a single by sophomore Kristina Karagiorgis. Freshman Macy Jones then coaxed a walk to plate Fierszt with the game’s first run, and Dominguez beat out a throw home on a fielder’s choice off the bat of junior Caitlin Blalock. Sophomore Kasey Ball then added a key two-run single to cap the inning.
The Falcons increased their advantage to 5-0 with another run in the bottom of the fourth when Dominguez laced a lead-off single and later scored on a Blalock single.
Junior Claire Bayles added a pinch-hit, two-run single in the sixth to close out the scoring.
The run support was more than enough for Fowler, who turned in yet another strong performance in the circle. She battled the poor weather conditions and worked out of several jams to improve to 5-1 on the
season.
After retiring the side in the first, Fowler allowed a lead-off walk and hit the next batter in the second before using a sacrifice bunt, a ground out and a foul out to end the Patriot threat.
Park View got its first hit of the game on a double by Samantha Thomas with two outs in the third, but she was erased on a fielder’s choice to end the frame.
Fowler issued two-out walks in the fourth and sixth innings but used strike outs to close both frames. In the fifth, Fowler gave up a two-out single by Samantha Gleason but helped her own cause by snared a
screaming liner off the bat of Thomas to end that inning.
Park View looked to avoid the shutout in the top of the seventh when it had runners on second and third with two out, but Fowler notched her
ninth strikeout of the game to seal the victory.
With her 2-for-2 effort at the plate, Dominguez has now hit safely in each of her last eight official at-bats over the past three games (walks do not count as at-bats). Blalock finished 2-for-4 with two singles and
two RBIs, while Ball also drove in two runs and drew a walk.
Park View coach Ed Abener filed this report after the game as well:
Park View lost their third straight game tonight—this one by a score of 7-0 to Briar Woods. The Falcons picked up seven runs on seven hits while the Patriots once again struggled at the plate picking up only three hits. Junior Sam Gleason was again the best Patriot hitter as she collected two hits. Freshman Sam Thomas collected the third hit, a double to right field. Tonight, the Patriots committed three errors that led to two unearned runs. Robin Heironimus started the game and lasted two plus innings before being replaced by Freshman Brittney Moore. Park View hosts Freedom High School this coming Friday evening and will be looking to stop their current skid.
Broad Run 1, Potomac Falls 0
The SKinny: Judy Betz pitches a 1-hitter for Sprartans and Panthers fall for first time this year.
The SKinny: Judy Betz pitches a 1-hitter for Sprartans and Panthers fall for first time this year.
Dan Sousa covered this game and filed this report:
Broad Run senior Judy Betz and Potomac Falls sophomore Heather Kiefer locked up in a nice pitcher’s duel and while there were some baserunners earlier in the game, neither pitcher allowed a run until the Spartans pushed one across the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning.
That was enough for Betz who finished with 11 strikeouts and allowed just one hit on a bunt.
Junior Anna Blessing started the winning rally with a hit down the right field line to open the home half of the sixth. Broad Run had its troubles earlier trying to move runners over but junior Jen Soroka got down her bunt nicely, forcing Panther freshman third baseman Lauren Fulcher to field the ball. While Fulcher was throwing Soroka out at first base, Blessing hustled around second toward third base which was uncovered. Panther junior catch Courtney Sunderland sprinted up the baseline to cover the bag but Blessing was able to beat the tag.
Broad Run freshman Kate Sims then singled sharply up the middle to score Blessing and that was all Betz would need.
Kiefer rolled the first time through the Spartan line-up, not allowing anything out of the infield but in the third inning, senior Megan Waterman and sophomore Maggie Betz had back-to-back hits with one out. Kiefer got out of the threat with a strikeout and a line drive to Panther freshman second baseman Caitlin McClay. In the fifth inning, Betz tripled to right-center with two outs but Kiefer got a ground out to Fulcher to keep the game scoreless.
Betz, who said after the game that working nine innings against Loudoun County before the break gave her confidence after being limited to five innings per outing while recovering from offseason surgery, started and finished strong, striking out the side in the first and seventh. She had five more strikeouts in between for 11 total. The only hit allowed came in the fifth inning as sophomore Kayla Guttridge reached on a bunt single. Guttridge moved around to third base but the Panthers could not get her home as Betz ended the inning on a grounder out to sophomore second baseman Jenny Kramer.
Dominion 12, Heritage 6
The Skinny: Need a Titan fan willing to report details. Email us at dsousa@digitalsports.com
The Skinny: Need a Titan fan willing to report details. Email us at dsousa@digitalsports.com
Loudoun County 17, Freedom 2 (6 innings)
The Skinny: Raiders always bring the bats! LC has scored 80 runs on the season in seven games!
The Skinny: Raiders always bring the bats! LC has scored 80 runs on the season in seven games!
LC coach Ryan Vance filed this report after the game:
Lindsey Holtz and Renay Aubel combined on a 6 inning, 5 hitter, giving up 2 runs with 5 K’s and BB’s.
Rochelle Latka added a hit and a run in the win
Erin Ertel 2-4, a run and SB
Megan Lindsey 1-4, BB, run
Holly Norris, 3-5, 2 doubles, 6 RBI’s
Holtz 3-3, Double
Kelley Duerbeck, 1-2, Double, 2 BB, 2 runs
Taylor Grimmell, added a run and a RBI
Aubel 2-4, Triple, 2 RBI’s, 2 Runs
Rachel Wigfield, added a hit and a run
Cortni Reitz added a hit and 4 runs scored
Battlefield 1, Loudoun Valley 0
The Skinny: This game was as advertised as Bobcats beat LV in extra innings.
DigitalSports “Man About Prince William (Prince Willie?)” Paul Frommelt covered this game including how a controversial overrule in the eighth inning sent the hometeam Bobcats onto victory. Click here for full coverage including photo and videos!
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