Wolverines Whip West Springfield 8-1. Wild Win, Mild Weather.

West Potomac walloped West Springfield 8-1 for the win on Friday night.  The first five Wolverine tallies were scored via wild pitches, walks, a hit by pitch, a wind-blown single, and a weak error, but eventually the offense was given to score runs the more conventional way, as the team actually got two RBIs for the game.  (Reporter note: Today's lede is brought to you by the letter "w".)

Grace slides in on. . .a wild pitch. . .for the 2nd run.

The girls battled through the unusual weather conditions last night.  Long time Wolverine observers could not remember the last time they were able to watch a softball game without wearing gloves, hats, and coats (okay, it was last season), but the fans battled last night's seasonably pleasant temperatures with a variety of shorts and short sleeve shirts and managed to survive. (Editor's note: Think the readers will get irony?  Reporter's note: that's cold.)

A group of wolverines would be called a pack. 

However, they are generally solitary predators.

Wolverines are a type of weasel.  The collective noun

for weasels is a sneak.  So, I'd guess a group of 

wolverines is called a sneak.  Additional: Other collective

nouns for weasels (and, therefore, potentially for

wolverines) are a boogle, a confusion, and 
the aforementioned pack.

No doubt you've been wondering.  Now you know.

With second base stalwart Kate Gregory out temporarily with an injury, coach Craig "The Big Manig" Maniglia was forced to juggle his line-up.  He moved centerfielder Grace Moery to 2nd base, moved leftfielder Megan Jackson to right, put Olivia Manous into center, and started Katie Hinkel in left.

Grace flips to Raven for the easy out.

Starting pitcher Jayne Orleans started off the game with a whiff, but quickly ran into trouble by allowing a walk and a single to right.  However, she just as quickly got out of it with a strikeout and a routine groundball to second.

Foul ball.  The Spartans didn't

hit the ball squarely against Jayne.

The Wolverine bottom of the first started out innocently enough -- Nikki Minnis bounced a grounder to short, but the first baseman fumbled the throw.  Grace was plunked by a pitch, Annabelle Miller walked. Meanwhile, the Spartan pitcher was throwing wild pitches, so eventually all three came in to score without a hit.  The team's first hit was a Raven Williams' can of corn to right center that would have been caught but got knocked by a stiff right to left wind.  Raven took second on a wild pitch.  Then she took third on a wild pitch.  You get three guesses to how she scored, but by now if one of them does not include the phrase "wild pitch," your reading comprehension needs work.

Raven bloops a single to right center.

It was 4-0 after one inning with nary an RBI (Editor's notes: great use of the word "nary."  Reporter: Thanks! Editor: ever wonder why RBI has "an" in front of it rather than "a"?  Reporter: Nope.  Never wondered that.)

Nikki steams into second, one of

the four times she reached base.

Nikki started a two run inning in the second by ripping a single to center, taking an extra base on an error. Grace singled her to third.  Nikki scored on a. . .wait for it. . .wild pitch.  Annabelle ripped a single to right for the first Wolverine RBI of the game to make it 6-0.

Annabelle's next swing was deposited

in right for an RBI single.

The wind giveth and the wind taketh away.  Raven ripped a deep fly ball to right center -- a shot that was destined for either side of the fence.  While the wind granted her a single in the first, it stole an extra base hit in the second as the ball held up, finally nestling into to centerfielder's glove.

Jayne in command.

Meanwhile, Jayne was in relative command, allowing the first hitter to reach base via walk or hit by pitch in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, but she retired the next three hitters each time, for the 1-2-3-4 innings, which is not quite as catchy as a 1-2-3 inning, but no runners crossed the plate.  Maddie Miller made sure of it, by being perfectly positioned to catch a smacked liner to right, saving a sure run.

Maddie then led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk, advancing to second on a (surprise!) wild pitch. She scored when Nikki smacked a double off the right field wall.  Nikki scored when the Spartan first base tried to catch her off third with an ill-advised throw that got away.  Thus endeth the Wolverine scoring.

Runner erased at second, Jayne to Nikki.

Christina Dillard came in to pitch the last three innings.  She threw the only 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, highlighted by the web gem of the game.  With two outs, Nikki ranged to her right on a ball deep in the hole between 3rd and short.  She gloved it and fired to first to catch the Spartan by a half step.  Stealing the hit turned out to be big, as the first two hitters in the sixth reached on singles.

West Springfield threatened in the seventh, pushing across one run, but failed to score more despite having the bases loaded and just one out.  Annabelle fielded a slow chopper and threw for the force at home, and then Nikki gunned down the last Spartan at first to end the threat.

Wolverine Whispers: Nikki' single in the sixth was the last West Po hit of the game. . .gave three hits on the game, believed to be the most for the Wolverines this season.  With the first bagger's error at the start f the game, Nikki reached base all four times at the plate.   It's a Wolverine doubleheader today, with a third game included:

1:00        Oakton vs Robinson @ WP

3:00        WP vs Oakton @ WP

5:00        WP vs Robinson @ WP

Be sure to hit concessions at the park for afternoon snack and dinner -- fundraising for the team, and easy meal prep for you.