SOFTBALL FALLS TO MONTICELLO IN REGION CHAMPIONSHIP
Date Posted: Jun 05, 2010
Game Date: Jun 04, 2010
Score:
FALCONS: 1
MONTICELLO HIGH: 2
Briar Woods dropped a hard-fought 2-1 contest to host Monticello in the Region II championship game Friday night in Charlottesville.
Both teams were playing in their first region final, but it was Monticello who took advantage of its opportunities to rally for the win with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Despite Friday night’s outcome, Monticello and Briar Woods both advance to next week’s Virginia High School League Group AA state championship tournament. Monticello will host Poquoson in Tuesday’s quarterfinal round, while Briar Woods will hit the road to face Powhatan. Powhatan edged Poquoson 1-0 in nine innings in the Region I championship game Friday.
The Briar Woods-Monticello contest quickly became a great pitching duel, with Falcon sophomore Macy Jones going toe-to-toe with Mustang senior and Radford University signee Victoria Scott.
Scott struck out the side in the top of the first, and Jones followed with the exact result in the bottom of the frame. The Falcons were also set down in order in the second, and Monticello got the game’s first hit with a two-out single through the left side in the home half of the inning. Jones used a strike out to end the inning.
The Falcons got on the scoreboard in the top of the third when freshman Lynn Brantley singled to open the inning and later moved to second on a sacrifice by junior Alex Fierszt. Senior Holly Dominguez followed with a grounder to the right side, and Monticello second baseman Amber Dillow made a nice diving stop but her throw to first was wide and allowed Brantley to race home with the game’s first run.
Lynley Price legged out an infield single to start the Monticello third but was erased when Falcon senior third baseman Hayley Olson fielded a sacrifice bunt attempt and fired to Dominguez at second. Jones then used a strikeout and a comebacker to the circle to end the inning.
Both teams had runners on in the fourth but came up empty. Briar Woods junior Kasey Ball drew a two-out walk but was stranded, and Monticello got a leadoff bloop single by Rachael Eplee but was stymied by excellent defense by the Falcons. Brantley tracked down a deep fly ball to right center for the first out, and Dominguez made an outstanding over-the-shoulder catch of a pop-up into shallow left field for the second out. Jones then got another comebacker to the circle to close out the inning.
Brantley led off the Falcon fifth with another single and advanced to second on another sacrifice by Fierszt, but Scott ended the threat with a strikeout.
Monticello tied the game in the home half of the fifth. Paige Lipscomb was hit by a pitch to start the inning and then barely beat another throw to second off a sacrifice bunt attempt to give the Mustangs runners at first and second with none out.
Jones fanned the next two batters, but Dillow came through with a clutch single up the middle to drive in Lipscomb and pull the hosts even.
Falcon senior Kate Fowler laced a two-out single in the sixth and took second on a wild pitch, but Scott got a foul pop up to end the inning.
The Mustangs then scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Scott doubled with one out, moved to third on a single by Lydia Neuroth and later scored on a throwing error. Jones avoided further damage with a strikeout and a pop up.
Scott then struck out the side in the top of the seventh to seal the victory.
Scott held the Falcons one unearned run on four hits and struck out 13 while walking one.
Jones was almost as impressive, giving up just one earned run on six hits. She struck out 11 and did not allow a walk.
Brantley led Briar Woods with a pair of singles in three at-bats.
