Wolverines Start Second Half of Conference Play With Win Over Woodson

It wasn't their prettiest win, or their most dramatic, but two four run innings that bookended the game led the West Potomac Wolverines to an 8-1 victory over the W.T. Woodson Cavaliers on Friday night.  The win raised the team's record to 10-5 overall, and 6-1 in conference play.

The Wolverines are all business as the 

second half of the season gets underway.

Despite the eight runs, the Wolverines batswomen had problems generating any consistent offense, as the Cavalier pitching came in at two speeds -- slow and slower.  This led to a number of at-bats where players would start their swings, stop them to adjust, and then pop out.

Fortunately, rhythm is NOT a prerequisite

for being a winning softball team.

That noted, Woodson could not generate much offense either.  The Cavaliers only run was unearned, and they only had baserunners in four of their seven innings.

Micaela Neulight settles under the

second out of the first inning.

In the home half of the first inning, the Wolverines scored four runs on just two hits, taking advantage of three walks, two errors, three wild pitches, and two stolen bases.  Nikki Minnis and Grace Moery earned back-to-back walks to start the game.  Nikki stole second before Grace walked, and went to third on a wild pitch.  Annabelle Miller earned an RBI with a fielder's choice that was turned into an error by the first baseman.

Grace fully runs all out to catch

the third out of the first inning.

Jayne Orleans drove Grace home with the first West Potomac hit, a single to left.  Elizabeth Drotos ran for Jayne, and scored on this sequence -- defensive indifference to take second, wild pitch to get to third, and wild pitch to score.  It was, uh, wild.

Grace scores on Jayne's single.

Olivia Manous singled, stole second, but was left on third.

Elizabeth beats the throw on a wild pitch.

Woodson scored their only run of the game in the top of the second, after an error was followed by a double.  After a strikeout, the next Cavalier knocked a single, but the runner on second was unable to score.  Jayne ended the threat by striking out the next hitter and inducing an unassisted ground out to Raven Williams.

Grace shows confidence in Raven's defensive play.

Wolverine bats went silent until the seventh inning.  Only three West Potomacites (Editor's Note: This reporter leads the league in made-up words!) reached base in the next four innings, two on walks and one on an error.

Eight strikeouts are nice, but no walks is even better.

Not to be flip or cavalier about this, but Woodson actually had more hits in that stretch, scratching out a single in the four and rapping a lead-off double in the sixth.  Neither runner advanced, and the lead was a somewhat flat 4-1 going into the bottom of the sixth.

No walks makes for a happy dad.  Of course,

the team on his hat better win Game 7

With one out in the seventh, pinch-hitter Caroline Bowman reached on a two base error by the center fielder.  Caroline reached third on the ubiquitous wild pitch.  Harley Devine worked a walked, and suddenly it was first and  third.  Nikki and Grace followed with RBI singles.  Nikki later scored on another wild pitch.  Raven reached on a fielder's choice, earning an RBI in process.  Jayne singled to left, but the inning ended.

The Wolverines only used their new cluster

defense once or twice during the game. 

It sure puts a lot of pressure on Grace.

This time, the Wolverines scored their four runs thanks to three hits, two walks, two errors, and "just" two wild pitches.

Woodson got its fifth (as many as West Potomac) hit of the game in the seventh inning with one out, but the runner went no further after a fly out to center and pop out to second to end the game.

West Potomac Whispers: Spring allegedly reappears this week, he writes bitterly, as Annandale comes Tuesday to West Potomac.  Then, on Friday, which is May Day, West Potomac heads over to T.C. Williams, although the game isn't played at T.C. Williams -- it's played at an address to be sent later by our lovely and talented team rep.  High temps for those two days are to 69 and 70 degrees respectively, so gloves, coats, and winter hats can be put away, probably for good.

While your faithful blogger did not write-up Thursday controversial loss to Lee, Annabelle Miller's hitting deserves a shout-out.  She blasted a two run home run in the fourth to score the first two West Potomac runs in 9 1/3 innings against Lee, and smacked an RBI double in the sixth that should have scored two runs had the home plate ump not overruled the base ump with a bizarre call.

Back to Friday night's game.  Jayne had eight strikeouts, allowed just five hits and no walks in her seven innings of pitching.

The defensive gem of the night was scored 3-4-3, as tricky grounder hit off Raven's mitt.  Grace was racing to cover first, so she had to dive back in the other direction.  She then flipped the ball back to Raven from her prone position on the ground for the third out of the fourth inning.

Jayne continued her hot hitting of late, having two of the West Potomac five singles.