The Wolverine bats took their time getting moving. Baffled by an Eagles pitcher who had three speeds -- slow, slower, and slowest, West Potomac had to go around the order once to do some limited damage.
The pitching and defense covered for the offense this game. Jayne Orleans started and pitched three hitless innings. Christina Dillard came in with the score 0-0, and pitched three more scoreless innings to get the win. Jayne did her Mariano Rivera impression, coming on to strikeout the side in the seventh to notch the save and preserve the victory. Jayne's first K in the seventh came on what was probably her best change-up this season.
The Wolverines warming up
Overall, Jayne struck out six of the twelve outs she recorded, while Christina notched another three Ks. Jayne issued two free passes, and Christina scattered three hits. One Eagle reached via an error, but none of the six Edison baserunners advanced further than third base (no kidding Glen, that's why it was a shutout! Hey -- hang with me here -- it's a sportswriting trick to state the obvious!).
Grace Moery made the defensive play of the game in the top of the fifth, when, running at full speed into the left centerfield gap, she dove to backhand a sinking shot that was destined for a double. Until it nestled into her mitt. The Edison fans and players groaned.
Other web gems (go ahead ESPN, sue me!) were turned in by Annabelle Miller on a slow roller to start the game and by Nikki Minnis with a back-handed stab of a dying quail to take away a hit in the top of the fifth.
Megan Jackson tracks down
one of the three Edison hits.
The most important fielding play of the game came in the top of the third, when after a free pass and an error, Edison had runners on 2nd and 3rd with just one out and the score 0-0. The Wolverines turned a 6-3-2 double play, with Annabelle throwing to Raven Williams for the first out. Trying to grind out a run, the Eagle on 3rd headed home on the throw to first, but Raven nailed her in time for Torie Bolger to make the tag on a bang-bang play at the plate.
Offensively, the Wolverines weren't very offensive to the Eagles. Annabelle's first inning ringing double down the line went for naught. That was followed by seven straight West Potomac outs, keeping the game scoreless till the bottom of the fourth.
Grace led off the bottom of the fourth by smacking a double. After the next two Wolverine hitters failed to do damage, Raven stroked a clutch double to left center to drive in Grace with the RBI.
West Potomac manufactured an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Kate Gregory led off the inning with a single to center. She stole second, reaching third on a dropped third strike. Nikki's groundout to second brought Kate home.
The Eagles threatened with two outs in the sixth, getting back-to-back singles, taking the extra base on the throw, but Christina got the last hitter of the inning to pop out.
Wolverine Whispers: Likely rainy weather on Monday threatens Tuesday's home game against the South County Stallions. . .watch your email in case the game gets postponed a day. . .in other weather news, the California drought has not yet spread to NOVA. . .the Stallions are ranked 7th in the region by the Washington Post. . .as Malcolm Gladwell once said, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. . .in the adult section, Annabelle assisted on a Maddie Miller putout at first base, but proud papa Jim refused to chug a Miller Lite in honor of the play. . .Wolverine fans felt let down (thanks Jim, for nothing!). . .but the win buoyed their spirits.
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