MPSSAA Softball State Finals Day 1
CLASS 4A
Fired up by the ejection of catcher Brittany Mathis, Sherwood High School scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning to defeat Chopticon High School 7-2 and win its fifth straight MPSSAA Class 4A softball title.
It was also the 103rd consecutive victory for the Warriors of Montgomery County, who finished this season 18-0.
Chopticon jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning on back-to-back doubles by Haley Hands and Jordan Brown. Hands' blast was nearly caught by centerfielder Amanda Berkley, who got her glove on the ball at the wall but couldn't quite hang on.
The Braves, from St. Mary's County, made it 2-0 in the third on an RBI single by Lily Sager, scoring Shanna Peters, who had singled three batters earlier.
Mathis was ejected when she appeared to veer into first baseman Allie Nelson on a foul pop up the first base line. Mathis also appeared to lower her shoulder when she made contact with Nelson.
Sherwood, fired up now, went on to score four runs, the big blow a double by Kelly Bouma, which came after a costly throwing error by Chopticon.
The Warriors broke the game open in the seventh on back to back singles from Hanna Nails and Amanda Berkley, and a mammoth home run over the left-field fence by Kara Carney.
CLASS 2A
Devin Ruble drove in four runs with a single and a double, and Alyssa Bilodeau gave up just five hits to lead La Plata High School to the MPSSAA Class 2A championship, 9-1 over Catoctin High.
Ruble, a sophomore catcher, drove in Hannah Kraft and Erica Cox, the Warriors first two hitters who both had walked, with a sharp single in the bottom of the first.
She followed that the a double to the gap in right-center field in the bottom of the third that scored Kraft and Cox again.
Bilodeau, a senior, retired the first eight hitters she faced before giving up a walk and a single in the bottom of the third.
She gave up five hits and struck out five.
Junior Jessi Bryant, Catoctin's starting pitcher, got to Bilodeau for a towering home run in the top of the fourth that hit the left-field light pole a third of the way up for the Cougars' only run.
Bryant was replaced by sophomore Grace Mazaleski in the fourth after giving up eight runs.
La Plata, of Charles County, finished the year 20-6. Catoctin, of Frederick County, finished 20-4.
Fired up by the ejection of catcher Brittany Mathis, Sherwood High School scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning to defeat Chopticon High School 7-2 and win its fifth straight MPSSAA Class 4A softball title.
It was also the 103rd consecutive victory for the Warriors of Montgomery County, who finished this season 18-0.
Chopticon jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning on back-to-back doubles by Haley Hands and Jordan Brown. Hands' blast was nearly caught by centerfielder Amanda Berkley, who got her glove on the ball at the wall but couldn't quite hang on.
The Braves, from St. Mary's County, made it 2-0 in the third on an RBI single by Lily Sager, scoring Shanna Peters, who had singled three batters earlier.
Mathis was ejected when she appeared to veer into first baseman Allie Nelson on a foul pop up the first base line. Mathis also appeared to lower her shoulder when she made contact with Nelson.
Sherwood, fired up now, went on to score four runs, the big blow a double by Kelly Bouma, which came after a costly throwing error by Chopticon.
The Warriors broke the game open in the seventh on back to back singles from Hanna Nails and Amanda Berkley, and a mammoth home run over the left-field fence by Kara Carney.
CLASS 2A
Devin Ruble drove in four runs with a single and a double, and Alyssa Bilodeau gave up just five hits to lead La Plata High School to the MPSSAA Class 2A championship, 9-1 over Catoctin High.
Ruble, a sophomore catcher, drove in Hannah Kraft and Erica Cox, the Warriors first two hitters who both had walked, with a sharp single in the bottom of the first.
She followed that the a double to the gap in right-center field in the bottom of the third that scored Kraft and Cox again.
Bilodeau, a senior, retired the first eight hitters she faced before giving up a walk and a single in the bottom of the third.
She gave up five hits and struck out five.
Junior Jessi Bryant, Catoctin's starting pitcher, got to Bilodeau for a towering home run in the top of the fourth that hit the left-field light pole a third of the way up for the Cougars' only run.
Bryant was replaced by sophomore Grace Mazaleski in the fourth after giving up eight runs.
La Plata, of Charles County, finished the year 20-6. Catoctin, of Frederick County, finished 20-4.
| May 27th, 2016 | By: Ed Waldman |