April 30, 2012|By Karen Brelsford, howardcountysports@patuxent.com
But when reliever Choe Dixon came on with the bases loaded, Marriotts Ridge was done for the inning. She got a big defensive play when centerfielder Jess Dubbs grabbed a fly ball and threw home to catcher Nolena Ard. Ard didn't get the force but she fired to third baseman Emily Forbus to cut down a baserunner and end the rally.
Dixon got out of a bases-loaded situation in the sixth, giving up only one run when Lein singled to score Erin Kratochwill. She had only one bad inning after that, the seventh, when she gave up two runs on two hits.
"We could have gotten more runs on the board but overall it was a good win for us," said O'Boyle. "Every game is a step up for us."
Long Reach left seven runners stranded, but kept picking away at Marriotts Ridge's lead.
Ard scored in the second after reaching on a single, and she scored again in the fourth on Forbus' ground out. Dubbs led off the fifth with a double and scored on Lexi Briscoe's ground out. Alina Milauskas also doubled, in the sixth, but was left stranded.
Dubbs said her fifth-inning hit and run "was important, not just for the team but for me, too, because I've been struggling with hitting. I was happy to help the team."
Long Reach had a two-out rally in the seventh, but Smith got a big strikeout to end the game.
"She was definitely a great pitcher," said Ard about Smith. "She hit her spots, inside and outside, and her change-up was beautiful."
But Ard also added that Long Reach has shown a huge improvement. The first time these two teams met, in the second game of the season, Marriotts Ridge won, 27-1. "To improve that much is important for us as a program and as a team."
"We work together as a team and we hit the ball better," said Long Reach shortstop Christina Doshim, who had three singles.
"We can't go from a losing season last year to winning everything, but we are improving and that's what is important," said coach Melissa Boardman.
Marriotts Ridge - 0 5 1 0 1 1 2 -- 10 11 0
Long Reach - 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 -- 3 8 3
WP: Smith
LP: Basham
2B: LR - Dubbs, Milauskas
Wilkinson, McMillin power win
Loryn McMillin's three-run home run in the first inning helped power Howard to an 8-0 shutout win over Centennial. Howard remains tied with Glenelg as the league-leaders.
Katie Wilkinson also had a three-run homer, in the second inning, to give Howard a 6-0 lead.
Kensey O'Neill gave up five hits and struck out six for the Lions, now 12-2 in the county and 14-3 overall.
Sage McGrann also had an RBI in the win, and Taylor McGrann and O'Neill both had doubles.
On April 28, Howard beat Long Reach, 15-1. Samantha O'Connor was the winning pitcher, with eight strikeouts, two hits and no walks.
Julie Barnhouse had a double and three RBIs for Howard, and O'Neill and Sage McGrann both had two RBIs.
Centennial - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Howard - 3 3 0 2 0 0 x -- 8
April 28 game
Howard - 1 2 2 0 10 --15
Long Reach - 1 0 0 0 0 -- 1
Two homer in Glenelg shutout
Leah Allen and Marisa Saglimbeni both hit home runs as Glenelg defeated Oakland Mills, 17-0, in five innings.
Allen's four-bagger was her sixth home run of the season and she drove in four runs for the day. Saglimbeni also was 3-for-4 and added a double and single to her total.
Toni Pritchard also had a good day at the plate. She doubled three times and produced three RBIs.
Colleen Regan pitched five innings of shutout ball for her eighth win of the season. She struck out five.
Glenelg is 10-2 in county play and 10-5 overall.
Glenelg hosts upset-minded River Hill tomorrow for another crucial late-season game.
Centennial defeats Long Reach
Centennial handed Long Reach a 7-3 loss on April 27 to boost its county record to 5-8. The Eagles are 6-8 overall.
Junior Caylin Zerr got her first win after pitching two innings and allowing a single run. Emily Bowman returned to the mound to pitch five innings with three strikeouts and one walk.
Hannah Ouellette continues to lead the Eagles at the plate. She's hitting .366.
Atholton wins in five
Alex Herschman pitched a five-hitter as Atholton shut out Wilde Lake, 10-0, in five innings.
Herschman got a lot of help from her offense, which had 13 hits. Melanie Berger had two doubles in the win. Morgan Fleming and Gabby Nowicki also had doubles.
Wilde Lake had a good day defensively, playing error-free ball and turning an inning-ending double play led by second baseman Brittany Kuntz.
Christina Wondoloski had two hits for the Wildecats, and Rose O'Rourke, Tina Heil and Alex Thomas had one hit each.
Wilde Lake - 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0 5 0
Atholton - 2 0 3 2 3 --10 13 0
WL: O'Rourke, O. Harrison (4), K. Harrison
A: Herschman/Berger
2B: A - Fleming, Nowicki, Berger (2)
