After doing their best hitting in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, the West Potomac Wolverines continued to pound opposition pitching on Monday, splitting the Annandale Atoms 22-0, and clawing the Osbourn Eagles 10-2.
Not to be outdone, the West Potomac squad was also dominant on the defensive side, with potent pitching and nearly flawless fielding. In fact, starting pitcher Jayne Orleans had a no hitter through five innings against Osbourn until she was pulled.
Annandale Game/22-0 West Potomac Win
The Annandale game started as a rout, and stayed that way. West Potomac lost the coin flip, and batted first. It was the only thing the Wolverines were to lose that day. After a leadoff out, 13 straight Wolverines reached base, with 10 scoring. Hits in the first inning were collected by Raven Williams (double plating two), Jayne Orleans (RBI single), Torie Bolger (RBI single), Nikki Minnis (single that land on the right field foul line, scoring one), Annabelle Miller (RBI single), and Raven again (another RBI, this time on a single). Also collecting RBI were Eliza Treadway, Maddie Miller (both on bases-loaded walks), and Jayne (hit by a pitch with the bases full).
Staked to a 10-0 lead, Jayne had few problems smashing the Atoms in the first inning. West Potomac tacked on another four runs in the second, behind four hits and two walks. Olivia Manous led off with a single, stole second, before Eliza singled her to third. Annabelle collected an RBI via a free pass with the bases loaded. Raven singled in another run for her fourth RBI of the game, and then Jayne hit a ringing double to right for two more runs (and her third/fourth RBIs of the game).
The game was delayed a couple of times between the dust bowl like effects of the strong winds, and once when sticks from the osprey nest above the light tower were blown onto the infield. The Wolverine Park osprey was just making a statement about the next game. (Editor's note: What was the statement? Reporter's note: wait for the next game's write-up.)
Coach Craig started emptying his bench quickly, replacing Jayne with Christina Dillard, bringing in Harley Devine to catch, Eliza to play second, and Izzy Crawn in right. Christina cruised throughout the game, allowing just one Atom to reach second base. Annandale hit no bombs the entire game. (Editor: the first two Atom references were good, but this one is a stretch. Reporter: I know, but I was desperate to get an "atom bomb" line in before the game story ended.)
Olivia's double to right get the 3rd inning started, as the team tacked on four more runs. Eliza and Izzy both walked. Caroline Bowman, inserted to play 3rd base, singled in a run with a smack to left, followed by Katie Hinkell knocking another single for an RBI. Christina was retired on a fielder's choice, but another run came in on the play.
The final five runs came in fourth (which was the Wolverines last licks because of the time limit). Harley and Olivia both walked. Eliza's infield single loaded the bases. Maddie and Caroline followed with RBI singles, and then Katie pushed a run across with a bases loaded walk. Christina got another RBI on another fielder's choice. Megan closed out the scoring with a single up the middle.
Osbourn Game/10-2 West Potomac Win
The game against Osbourn was eagerly awaited -- after all, the Eagles had lost to Lake Braddock on Saturday by just a 5-1 score, similar to the four run deficit in the Wolverine-Bruins game. There was a good chance this game would be a tough nailbiter of a game.
But not this time. Not today.
Ornithological (Editor: hey, you spelled it right the first time! Reporter: dumb luck) fans know that osprey kick the proverbial heck out of eagles when they duel. West Potomac are the Wolverines, but we have our own osprey that watches over us. So, the Eagles didn't have a prayer against our osprey.
This was a slow squeeze rather than a quick blowout like the 10-0 start to the Annandale game. But, by the time Osbourn got their first hit of the game, the score was already 9-0 in the top of the sixth.
Jayne pitched her best game of the season, allowing no hits in her five innings, striking out seven of the first eight batters she faced, and allowing only four baserunners, including one via an error before being pulled. She struck out two of the first three batters with change-ups. The second out in the third inning was the first time an Osbourn batter had a fair ball against her. Of her nine strikeouts in the five innings, six were caught with their bats on their shoulders. Christina added another two whiffs.
The Wolverines struck for a 2-0 lead in the home half of the first. Nikki reached on an infield single to second. With two outs, Raven doubled her in, and Jayne followed with a similar ringing double.
West Potomac increased the lead by half in the second when Megan's single was turned into an additional two-base error by the left fielder. Megan alertly went to third on it, and scored on Olivia's picture perfect sacrifice bunt.
The team doubled the lead to 6-0 in the third, taking advantage of some Osprey errors and two doubles. Annabelle led off with a double, and then Raven and Jayne were both gifted bases with errors. Annabelle scored at some random point during the errors, but this reporter didn't write down the specific play (feel free to fire me, but if you do, replace me with someone who uses fewer parenthetical inserts -- they get disruptive after a bit!). Megan capped off the scoring in the inning with a two run double.
The girls liked scoring three runs so much they did it again in the fourth. Katie's walk to lead off was followed by Nikki's liner to left for a single. Annabelle collected two more RBI with a double, and then Raven drove her in with a double.
Osbourn tried to scratch their way back into it with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth against Christina in the 6th, but she fought her way out of trouble. Maddie made sure the door slammed shut when she made the fielding play of the day with a diving catch with two outs and a runner on first. Having survived the sixth, Christina pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to close out the game.
Annabelle's double in the bottom of the sixth to drive in her sister after Maddie's double capped the scoring.
Wolverine Whispers: The team enjoys a much deserved break through Monday. Then, they have make-up games Monday and Wednesday. On the 21st they play Annandale at West Potomac stadium in a Conference match-up, then take on Lee at home on the 23rd.
Members of the "Three and/or Three" (three hits or three RBI in the doubleheader) include Annabelle and Raven (both had four hits, including three doubles) and five RBIs. Jayne had three hits (two doubles) and four RBI. Nikki had four hits, while Megan had three hits (one double) and three RBI.
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