SOFTBALL WRAPS UP RECORD-BREAKING SEASON WITH LOSS TO POWHATAN IN STATE QUARTERFINALS
Date Posted: Jun 09, 2010
Game Date: Jun 08, 2010
Score:
FALCONS: 0
POWHATAN HIGH: 4
The Briar Woods softball team saw its record-breaking season come to an end with a 4-0 loss to Powhatan Tuesday in the Virginia High School League Group AA state quarterfinals in Powhatan.
Briar Woods (21-4) battled Powhatan (24-1) through five scoreless innings, but the Indians took advantage of three hits, two walks, two passed balls and a hit batter to plate all of its runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Briar Woods outhit Powhatan 7-5 for the game, but the Falcons couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities, eventually stranding 11 runners on base. The Falcons had at least one runner on base in every inning and failed to cross home plate with the bases loaded and none out in the fourth.
The loss won’t overshadow an otherwise spectacular season in which the Falcons set school records for wins and fewest losses, captured their first Dulles District regular-season championship with a perfect 12-0 mark, won their second straight Dulles District tournament title and finished as the Region II runners-up. Briar Woods also set a program record with 12 straight victories prior to dropping its last two contests.
The Falcons went right at the five-time state champion Indians from the start. Junior Kristina Karagiorgis ripped a one-out double in the top of the first, but Indian junior lefthander Rachel Walters used a pop up and a ground out to end the threat.
Briar Woods sophomore lefty Macy Jones struck out the side in the first, and the Falcon offense went back to work in the top of the second. Junior Kasey Ball opened the frame with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Jillian Olson. However, Walters again got out of danger with a strikeout and a groundout.
Powhatan threatened in the bottom of the second when Liz Sill was hit by a pitch and Cameron Smith reached on a one-out fielder’s choice. It was then Jones’ turn to work out of trouble, and she did just so with a pair of strikeouts.
Karagiorgis reached on an infield error with two outs in the third but another pop up ended that inning.
The Falcons then had a golden opportunity to take control of the game in the fourth. Senior Kate Fowler blasted a triple to the centerfield fence to start the inning, and Ball reached when her grounder to short was held to prevent Fowler from running home. Jillian Olson then laid down a bunt, and Fowler drew a throw to third and dove back in under the tag as the Falcons loaded the bases.
The Indians, who worked out of two bases-loaded, no-out jams in a 1-0 win over Poquoson in the Region I championship game last Friday, was again up to the task against the Falcons. Walters got a force at home on a grounder to first, and then used a strikeout and another groundout to keep the Falcons off the scoreboard.
With the momentum shifting to the home dugout, the Indians got a runner on when Sill dropped a single into shallow center just out of the reach of a diving attempt by Falcon junior Alex Fierszt. Sill moved to second on a sacrifice before Briar Woods senior Holly Dominguez snagged a soft liner to short to end the inning.
The Falcons had yet another chance in the fifth when Dominguez opened with a single through the right side, took second on a sacrifice by Karagiorgis and advanced to third on a groundout. The Indians pitched around Fowler to give Briar Woods runners at the corners, but Walters shut the door with a strikeout.
Powhatan had another shot in the home half of the fifth with a one-out single and sacrifice. Kelsey Waugh then sent a shot to deep center, but Fierszt made the catch just steps shy of the fence to end the inning.
Freshman Lynn Brantley sent a roller up the middle for a one-out single in the top of the sixth, and she moved to second on a perfect sacrifice bunt by senior Hayley Olson. Walters got yet another ground ball out to keep the game scoreless.
The bottom of the sixth began innocently enough, with Jones getting a grounder to short for the first out. Jessica Brooks sent a roller up the middle just out of the reach of Ball and Dominguez, and Sill was then hit by a pitch. Fierszt raced into left centerfield to make a nice catch for the second out, but a walk loaded the bases and a passed ball allowed the Indians to finally break the scoreless deadlock.
After another walk, Powhatan got back-to-back RBI-singles to make it a 3-0 contest. Another passed ball allowed the fourth Indian run to score.
Briar Woods refused to go down without a fight, putting runners on second and third in the top of the seventh. Karagiorgis ripped a one-out single to center but was erased on a force out. Fowler then roped a double into the left centerfield gap to send Jones to third. However, Walters corralled a comebacker to the circle and threw to first for the final out.
Fowler went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and a walk, while Karagiorgis finished 2-for-3 with a single, a double and a sacrifice.
Jones (12-2) scattered five singles and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings. Karagiorgis got the final out in the sixth with a comebacker to the circle.
