It was a T.C. Williams team the likes of which we had never seen before. Yes, the Titans had played the previous game this season better than in previous years, but it took every bit of fight for the West Potomac softball varsity to win 6-3 last night.
With the win, West Potomac improved its record on the season to 12-2, including 6-1 in the melodically named "Conference Seven." (If only we were in Conference 8 -- the Ocho!)
It is the Titans second season in their beautiful (and large!) ballpark hard by the train tracks, and they now have a team to match the quality of their field. It took two runs in each of the Wolverine sixth and seventh innings to assure the victory, as the Titan pitching and defense was quite sharp.
During warm-ups, it was clear T.C. had come to play, but when the first two West Potomac batters scored in the top of the first thanks to a walk, two errors on one play, and a run-scoring groundout, it looked as though the Wolverines were ready to cruise to another win. What started ugly, however, turned into a crisp, taut evening with perfect weather for softball. (Editor's Note: one of the few times this season you've been able to write about perfect weather. Reporter, lashing out: easy for you to say, you've been in the warm office instead of freezing your butt off or getting soaked by rain! Editor: hashtag bitter.)
Nikki Minnis led off with a walk. Grace Moery reached first on an error, as Nikki alertly hustled to third. Then, T.C. compounded their first mistake with another one, committing another error on the play. Thus, the Titans allowed Nikki to score and Grace to reach third on a play that started with a harmless-looking bunt. Annabelle Miller grounded out to second, knocking Grace home. Raven Williams followed with a single to center, reaching second on an outfield error. The rout was on.
Except it wasn't.
The Wolverines did not get their second hit of the game until the top of the fourth inning. Meanwhile, the West Potomac pitching and defense cruised through the first two innings. Jayne Orleans whiffed two, including one on a change-up, Kate Gregory took away a single with a beautiful diving backhand stop, pop up, and throw to first, and Maddie Miller easily gunned out a would-be single at first from right field. The Titan hit the ball so hard that she was barely halfway to first when Maddie's throw got there.
But in the bottom of the third, the wheels came off. Well, as much as wheels can come off when a team only gives up two runs in an inning. But, since it was T.C., it felt like a "wheels come off" inning. A walk, a sacrifice bunt, and a ground ball double down the left field line led to the first T.C. run. The second run came on a pair of West Potomac errors on what should have been a routine out. Suddenly the game was tied 2-2.
In the top of the fourth, Torie Bolger's single to center with a runner on second was hit too hard to allow the Wolverine to score. With just one and Wolverine pinchrunners on second and third, West Potomac was unable to capitalize and break the tie. Showing the Titan difference this season, their shortstop ended the threat by making a difficult basket catch in shallow left with her back to the infield. (Editor: Should we really be making value judgments about whether left field is shallow. That's a harsh personal attack on an inanimate object. Reporter: How did you even GET this job? You have no clue what you are talking about.)
The second and third outs of the home half of the fourth came on sparkling Wolverine defensive plays. A hard shot back through the middle was deflected by Jayne. Nikki, changing direction, fell while grabbing the ball, but got up and nailed the hitter at first. Then, Raven made a nice diving catch on a knuckler that could have fallen for an infield single.
The fifth inning went three up and three down for both squads. The West Potomac fans were getting nervous. (Editor's note: How do you know? Did you poll them? Reporter: It's a common journalistic trick -- take your own opinion of an event at any given time and project it to the entire crowd. Editor: And you think I'm clueless?)
The top of the sixth broke the stalemate. Olivia Manous smacked a hard single to left center, promptly stealing second. Maddie stung a triple to deep center to break the tie. Torie followed with a seeing eye bloop single that was as softly hit as her previous single was hit hard. (Editor: "Seeing eye?" Is that some sort of Donald Sterling-esque slur on the blind? Reporter: Sigh. It's a common baseball term. We really don't like each other today, huh?). Kate followed with a single to left center to put runners at first and second, but the Wolverines couldn't blow the game open.
Down 4-2 in the home half of the sixth inning, the Titans were not done. They capitalized on a lead-off single to right by stealing second and scoring on a two out single. Thus closed the book on the T.C. scoring.
The Wolverines picked up two insurance runs in the seventh. Annabelle led off with a double to the left center gap. Olivia knocked her in with a single to the exact same spot she had singled in the previous inning. Olivia then promptly stole second again. Jayne helped her own cause with an RBI single. Suddenly it was 6-3, and there was a bit of breathing room. Maddie had a single to left, but the team stranded two runners with just one out for the third time in the game. West Potomac was just a couple of timely hits away from double digit runs.
Some day, perhaps even in the near future, T.C. Williams may beat West Potomac. However, Jayne Orleans channeled her best Kurt Russell channeling Herb Brooks (goosebumps!), and said "Not this game, not tonight." She struck on the first hitter on three pitches. The second batter looked at strike three, but the umpire mistakenly said ball four (Editor: that's bold, yet oddly gentle, criticism of the ump. Reporter: My source says I am correct!). Jayne shook that indignity off by whiffing the next batter on a change-up, and then emphatically ending the game with one last K -- her third of the inning, and seventh of the game.
Wolverine Whispers: Two hits each were notched in the game by Olivia Manous, Maddie Miller, and Torie Bolger. Combined, they had six of the ten Wolverine hits. Clutchtastically (not an SAT word! It's not even real!) eight of the hits came in the sixth and seventh innings. With an uncharacteristic seven Wolverines striking out, Coach Craig will surely be working on a more aggressive approach at the plate going into Tuesday and Thursday's big match-ups. On the defense side, Jayne only walked two hitters, and one of those was, ahem, questionable at best.
Busy week ahead, with three Conference Siete games on the schedule. Varsity is at Annandale on Monday (Well we're living here in Annandale and they're closing all the c-stores down. . .but I am not sure that second line works. . .feel free to email suggested lyrics) followed by hosting Lake Braddock on Tuesday. Thursday the team is at South County. Playing the number three and two team in the Post's rankings back-to-back will be true test of the Wolverine team spirit. (For folks not paying close attention, Annandale is NOT one of those ranked teams -- Lake Braddock is ranked third, and South County is ranked second). Cindy Jackson has kindly agreed to pinch-hit on writing up Monday and Tuesday's games for the blog.
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