Stat Boy Breaks Down Today's Doubleheader, And the Overall Tourny

The West Potomac Wolverines continued to evidence their newly found dislike for round yellow objects thrown by girls wearing different colors than they are by continuing to crush said aforementioned round yellow objects with thick rounded metal sticks.  Nearly every time a Wolverine crushed a yellow object (referred to by locals as “softballs” thrown by a “pitcher”), one of their teammates was soon scampering across a five sided white plate anchored in the ground.

Doing this 11 times Saturday against Robinson apparently wasn’t enough, as West Potomac had to double it in the first game Monday, crossing the five sided plate (referred to often as “home”) 22 times, to Annandale’s zero times.  Then, in the second game of the final tournament day, West Potomac did it another 10 times, while Osbourn could only manage scoring a run twice.

Because I like math and you do not, I’m making your life easier.  In the last three games of the Spring Break Tournament, West Potomac outscored its three foes by a 43-2 score, or, as they say on ESPN, “a lot to a little.”  If you look at all five games, West Potomac went 4-1 by a combined score of 49-14, including three shutout wins.  (Remember, the Spring Break Tournament includes the 2-0 win against Edison a week ago Saturday.)

It’s time for Johnny Sportswriter to take a break, and give up the stage to Stat Boy.  So, if you don’t like easily understandable baseball stats that make the team look good, scroll down to the narrative story on the doubleheader.  But, if you do like stats (and, come on, who amongst us doesn’t?), settle in for some Stat Boy fun.   First, for today's doubleheader:

∙ The Wolverines pounded out 31 hits in the two games – 19 singles and twelve doubles.
∙ They went 31 for 61 on the day – an impressive .508 batting average.
∙ They earned 15 walks.
∙ Two reached by taking one for the team (HBP), and three reached on errors.
∙ Of the 32 runs scored today, 30 came via RBI, while two came on errors.
∙ The pitching duo of Jayne Orleans and Christina Dillard only struck out two against Annandale, but bit the      heads off the bats of 11 Osbourn players (for those who don’t get the reference, the link is here).
∙ The pitchers only walked three hitters all day, and gave up just five hits.
∙ The first seven Osbourn Eagles to make outs against Jayne went down on strikeouts – two swinging, and       five looking.
∙ The Wolverines flashed leather all day, committing just two errors – neither of which cost runs.  Both             were just one base errors.

And now for the tournament:

∙ The Wolverines had 34 singles and 19 doubles in the five games, for 53 hits.
∙ For the five tournament games, they hit .482
∙ They earned 18 free passes, and got aboard via being hit three times.
∙ Six reached on errors.
∙ Of the 49 Wolverine runs scored in the five games, 44 came via RBI.
∙ West Potomac pitchers allowed just a .194 batting average by opposing hitters.
∙ The West Po pitchers whiffed 27 batters across the five games.
∙ They scattered just 21 hits across 28 innings.
∙ West Potomac pitchers recorded nine 1-2-3 innings, while Wolverine hitters were retired in order just           six times.

Let's hope the Wolverine offense, which has finally awoken from its slumber, can continue to pound the ball.

Wolverines' Jekyll and Hyde Impersonation Earns Spring Break Saturday Tourny Split (And Painfully Long Analogy/Headline)

Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.

The Wolverines got to be both on Saturday at the Spring Break Tournament.  They followed their worst game of the season with their best game of the season.  A non-competitive 12-4 loss to the Oakton Cougars was followed immediately by a dominant 11-0 shellacking of the Robinson Rams, suggesting that Wolverines have far more problems with predator mascots than with grass-eating mascots.

Kate's back -- at least in the field.

 The highlight for the game came when the Wolverines took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  Nikki Minnis, in a replay of the start of Friday's night's game against West Springfield, reached second after the first baseman couldn't handle the throw on a routine grounder.  Nikki later scored on a wild pitch, and the rout wasn't on.

Eliza holds her swing.

Oakton led off their first with a couple of walks -- both scored, and the Cougars took a 2-1 lead.  They added a third run in the second inning when another Oakton baserunner aboard with a free pass scored on a double.  Meanwhile, including the first inning, the Cougar pitcher retired nine Wolverine batters in a row.

The Cougars pounced in the bottom of the third, scoring seven runs to put the game out of reach at 10-1. Oakton cobbled together five singles, a base on balls, three errrors, and a wild pitch to dispirit the West Potomac squad.  After six runs in and just one out, Christina Dillard retired two out of three in relief, but the damage was done.

Christina provided some needed relief.

West Potomac tried to rally in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs before the rally fizzled.  Maddie Miller led off with an infield single, scoring later on a wild pitch.  Annabelle Miller followed her sister's hit with a hard single up the middle.  Raven Williams reached on a fielding error, followed by a mental error by the third baseman.  Jayne Orleans lined a shot up the middle that ticked off the pitcher's mitt and still had enough power to reach centerfield, driving in two runs.

Raven slides in -- safe!

After that, West Potomac only had one more baserunner for the entire game, when Eliza Treadway singled up the middle.  Meanwhile, the Cougars tagged on two more runs, aided by two more Wolverine errors.

Before we turn the page on that game, West Potomac gave up five walks (four of whom scored), and committed four errors (all of which resulted in Cougar runs).

The second game saw an entirely different Wolverine team show up and play ball.  While it took a few innings for the offense to get going, once they did it was the most damage with the bats the team has done this season.

The Robinson coach witlessly fueled the Wolverine rally by taking verbal cheap shots at the Wolverine pitcher and catcher.  Once word spread of his trash talk, the angry West Potomac hitters stood up for their aggrieved teammates and battered the Ram pitcher in the third inning.

The game started slowly, as the Wolverines had two runners reach base but fail to score in each of the first two innings.  Annabelle's infield single in the first went for naught, as she died on second after Raven was hit by a pitch.  Then, in the second, Torie Bolger's walk and Olivia Manous's infield single also went for naught.

Speed kills: Olivia legs out an infield single.

Meanwhile, Jayne was cruising, showing a command that wasn't there in the first game.  She retired the side in the first on six pitches, gave up a single to start the second, but then got three quick outs.    The third inning featured a little more excitement, but a potential problem was erased by Nikki's cat-like reflexes at short. Annabelle knocked down a hard liner, and it spun to Nikki.  She fired to first, getting the runner by a half step.

Anatomy of a play: the ball slams off Annabelle's mitt

Nikki adjusts to the ball.

The runner on second takes off.

Nikki scoops.

Out or safe?  Blue made Robinson blue.

Maddie got the hit parade started in the bottom of the third with a looping double to right.  Annabelle drove her big sister in for the first run of the with a harshly smacked double to left center.  The Wolverines went back-to-back-to-back doubles when Raven hit one to the same spot Annabelle had just hit hers.  After Jayne drove in the third run of the game with a single, the Rams pulled their pitcher.  Torie popped a single to center.  Megan Jackson slammed the fourth Wolverine double of inning, earning two RBI.  Olivia's groundout to second brought in Megan with the sixth run of the inning.

Maddie gets the hit parade started with a double

The big inning featured no errors by Robinson, and no walks.  It was all hitting, pounded out six in a row, including four doubles.  It was the most complete hitting inning of the season to date.

Annabelle steams into second after her

RBI double opened up the scoring.

No, this is not the same play, just the next pitch.

Raven deposited it in the same place Annabelle did.

The top of the fourth was highlighted by a wild play in which the runner on second was cut down at home on a single to center.  The ball traveled an unusual route, going from Olivia in center to Annabelle at third to Harley Devine behind the plate.

Torie's single falls between three Rams.

Megan hurts Coach Maniglia's hand while celebrating

her two run double (took third on the throw)

West Potomac then tacked on three more runs.  Annabelle walked, Raven got an infield single, and both scored on Jayne's RBI single (one of the runners came home on an error).  Eliza, running for Jayne, scored on an error by the first baseman.

Christina Dillard came in for a one-two-three inning, capped by a strikeout in the fifth.  The game ended on the mercy rule when West Potomac had four straight singles to lift the score to 11-0.  Katie Hinkel hit a single over the shortstop's head to left, then Nikki singled between short and 3rd.  Maddie lined a single to left so hard that Katie had to stop at third.  Annabelle's single and two RBIs was the last play of the game.

The sloppy fielding of the first game disappeared in the second -- West Potomac did not commit an error. The pitching was sharper too -- no walks and just four scattered singles were allowed.

There was no word on what, if any, additional trash talking the Robinson coach did.

Wolverine Whispers: The team has a 7-2 record, with two more games on Monday before a well-earned Spring Break rest.  The schedule for Monday:

12:00     WP vs Annandale @WP

2:00        Osborne vs Annandale @ WP

4:00        WP vs Osborne @ WP 

While it is a workday, Coach Craig is hopeful for a big crowd during the lunch hour to cheer on the team. And, 4pm is close enough to the end of the day, you can always claim an important meeting in Alexandria!

On the day, Annabelle and Jayne led the damage at the plate.  On the day, Annabelle had four hits and three RBIs, Jayne had three hits and four RBIs.  Also contributing significantly at the plate were Maddie (three hits, one RBI), and Megan (2 RBI).  Raven had a single and a double, but also reached on an error, and was hit by a pitch.  

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.  

Wolverine Pitching, Defense Ground Eagles

On a blustery day better suited for Winnie the Pooh, West Potomac got the pitching and defense it needed to beat the Edison Eagles 2-0.  The win runs the Wolverine record to 5-1.  All five wins have come via shutout.

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.

Wolverines Hold Bruins to Four Runs

The West Potomac Wolverines fell to the Lake Braddock Bruins tonight, with a 4-0 loss. Considering Lake Braddock is ranked #2 in the Northern Virginia/Maryland/DC area and are three deep with top-notch pitchers, our girls walked off the field with their heads held high.

                                                             

Once West Po settled down, their defense started working and only allowed 4 runs – pretty respectable considering the spankings Lake Braddock has been handing out to other teams.  

In the top of the 2^nd, Jayne Orleans put down a single in the score book, with an infield tap the Bruins couldn’t get their hands on. Raven then reached on an error. Olivia Manous’s sacrifice bunt allowed the runners to advance to second and third, but there they would stay - never reaching home.

Grace Moery led the Wolverine’s defense tonight as she showed her stuff in the outfield. In the bottom of the 5^th, she was perfectly placed for a deep fly ball to center, catching that can of corn with ease. 

Third baseman Annabelle Miller brought the leather tonight, fielding a hard hit ground ball and choosing to get the lead runner going to second, rather than the easy out at first. This saved a run, as the next batter hit a nice single to CF. Grace was there to field the ball, and made a dead-on throw to Annabelle at third, who easily tagged out the advancing runner.

Annabelle also ‘brought the wood’ tonight (er, aluminum), lacing a hard line drive to centerfield. This advanced Grace to second, putting her in scoring position. After a wild pitch (we didn’t see many of those tonight), Grace and Annabelle both got a stolen base and were at third and second, respectively – ducks on the pond (so happy I was able to work that one in!). Unfortunately, that’s where they would stay – stranded ducks on the pond.

In the bottom of the 6^th, things got a little confusing (not just for me but for the umpires, too!). Let’s see if I can get this right … there was one out, runners on second and third. Lake Braddock’s Patty Maye Ohanian hit one to deep left center.  Grace made an amazing running backhand catch, and quickly threw to Annabelle at third – but not in time to get the advancing runner out. That girl was safe at third (for the time being). The runner - who was on third base before the hit - safely scored. And then there was Patty Maye - standing on second base. Huh? Wasn’t she out because Grace just made an amazing catch?

The West Po fans got rowdy and Coach Craig called time out and had a lengthy discussion with the umpires. It was first determined that Patty Maye was indeed out (duh!).  Coach Craig also made an appeal play, claiming the runner who was originally on second (and now on third) never tagged up and should be out. After a lot of "discussing," the umpires agreed with the Big Manig and so this turned into a … double play? (Oh Glen, hurry home, I can’t keep up anymore.)

This was about as exciting as the evening got. The Wolverines gave up a total of four runs, two of which were unearned. Not too shabby and certainly not the “crushing” Lake Braddock was just recently quoted for giving out to teams on their regular-season slate.  West Potomac softball earned just a little bit more respect tonight. 

Wolverine Whispers:  West Potomac plays Thomas Edison on Saturday, April 5th at 2pm. The venue is Edison High School. West Po bats should be on fire. Blogger Glen Bolger *should* be back if he isn't suffering from too much jet lag. See you on the field! 

Wolverines Nip Westfield 1-0 in Defensive Showdown

In what was one of the best displays of defense ever brought to a high school field, the West Potomac Wolverines clinched the win over the Westfield Bulldogs in a 1-0 victory. These girls showed up ready to play. West Po’s defense proved superior – not committing any errors all night. The pitching on both teams was superb – each pitcher issued just two free passes. The girls put the bat on the ball, with hardly any K’s going down in the scorebook. It took less time to complete this game, than it took for the bus to get to Westfield.

As lead-off batter, Nikki Minnis had the first hit of the evening, ripping a line drive down the third base line. Annabelle Miller got on base after getting nailed in the ankle by a pitch, putting Nikki in scoring position. Raven Williams then blasted a hit to right field, scoring Nikki. This would be the only run of the entire evening.

In the bottom of the first, West Po’s defense kicked into action and didn’t let up all night long. Maybe it was the 2 hour bus ride that got them fired them up. Maybe it was the incentive of Sweet Frog on the way home. Regardless, the West Po defense was tighter than a fat man in spandex. Jayne Orleans easily fielded the first out; Kate Gregory then made a nice double play, tagging the runner going to second and then flipping it to Raven at first.

The second and third innings zipped by, with both teams playing tough defense.

In the top of the 4th after two hard hit foul balls to right field, Raven confused the Westfield defense by pulling the next pitch hard to left center field, getting herself her second hit of the evening. Olivia Manous then laid down a bunt, which slipped by the pitcher, allowing both runners to advance safely. With runners on first and second and no outs, it seemed another West Po run might be imminent. No such luck, however; the Westfield defense stepped up and got the next three batters out, leaving two stranded.

In an effort to prove that West Po’s outfield defense is just as good as their infield defense, Maddie Miller made a nice diving catch in the bottom of the fourth, keeping the base runner at second, and securing the second out.  Jayne then fielded a ground ball, getting West Po out of the inning.

Things got exciting in the bottom of the 5^th. Jayne struck out the first batter with her change-up pitch – which is getting more and more accurate each day. That batter stood there looking, as that pretty pitch gently sailed right through the strike zone. The next batter (who was no small girl – they grow them big in Loudon County) blasted a ball to deep right field, getting herself a triple. With a Westfield runner on third, the crowd was getting nervous but West Po’s defense was not. Nothing could shake these girls tonight. Kate fielded a ground ball for the second out, then Jayne got her fourth strike out of the game. The West Po fans breathed a sigh of relief.

Westfield rallied again in the bottom of 6^th – to no avail. Raven easily fielded a ground ball for the first out of the inning. The next batter walked. With one runner on and one out, Westfield’s bench started making noise.  Raven shushed them by catching a foul ball up against the fence right near their dugout; Olivia then extinguished any remaining spark of hope they had by catching a fly ball hit deep to left field. Done and done.

The Wolverines made an attempt at a two-out rally in the top of the 7^th. Maddie hit a nice line drive up the middle. Nikki then hit a hard line drive to right field, putting Maddie in scoring position. But the Westfield defense secured the next out, getting themselves out of a sticky situation.

It was now the bottom of the 7^th, the score was 1-0, and the (not so small) Westfield girl who blasted it to the right field fence earlier in the game was up to bat. On the 1-1 count, she ripped a bullet line drive down the first base line. That ball came off the bat faster than a buttered bullet. Whether it was Raven’s cat-like reflexes or her pure survival instincts that kicked in, we’ll never know. In the split second it took for that ball to get there, Raven got her glove up and made the catch. It was an incredible display of defense (and reflex!).  

Kate then fielded a ground ball for the second out. West Po was only one out away from sealing the win. With a 3-0 count, Jayne battled back, putting 2 strikes over the plate. The count was now full, the fans were now breaking a light sweat, but the West Po defense was cool as a cucumber. The batter hit a grounder to Annabelle at third, who cleanly fielded it, and threw out the girl at first. BAM! That’s all she wrote. Not one defensive error all night long for West Po. Those girls brought it tonight, beating Westfield 1-0.

The West Po fans couldn’t have been prouder of their girls, and Coach Craig “The Big Manig” Maniglia made good on his word with a Sweet Frog pit-stop on the (much shorter) bus ride home.

Wolverine Whispers:  Raven went 2 for 3 this evening, adding several more RBIs to her portfolio. The defense proved they can handle anything they are served. Jayne’s pitching is spot-on.  This West Po team is no joke. The next game is Friday, April 4^th against Lake Braddock … on their turf.  Let’s make the trek across town (it’s far closer than Westfield) and fill those stands with blue!

Wolverines Take Down Titans 6-0

On the first spring-like night of the season, West Potomac took the down the Titans in a 6-0 victory, and that’s no April Fool’s joke. Though the West Po bats had trouble adjusting to the pitching speed of the TC pitcher, their defense assured the Wolverines attained another shut out, still not giving up any runs.  Jayne Orleans pitched spectacularly with 12 strike outs and only allowed one hit all night long.

Jayne struck out all 3 in the top of the first, with 2 of them looking. In the bottom of the 1st, the Wolverines got two free passes. With 2 base runners on, Raven Williams managed to get her bat on the change-up pitch, scoring Grace Moery and putting West Po up 1-0. 

 West Potomac Wolverines sport their new white jerseys. 

(This may be the only time they are this white.)

After two strike outs in the top of the second, Jayne gave up her only hit of the night. After a mean foul ball that almost took out our beloved West Po announcer JP Moery (it’s ok, he quickly waved his blue hat out the press box window – assuring his fans he was still alive and kicking), TC William’s Sarah Leckman ripped a ball to far right field. Perhaps when right field is shortened 15 feet next season this hit would be a home run – but no such luck tonight for TC. Leckman had to settle for a triple. The West Po defense was determined not to let that run score - and that determination paid off; an easy fielder’s choice on the next batter secured the 3^rd out.

West Po’s first hit of the night came in the bottom of the third when Jayne hit a short fly to right center, easily reaching first base. This hit scored Grace Moery, who walked earlier in the inning, putting West Po up 2-0 after 3.

Not to be left out, Olivia Manous decided she wanted to join the hitter’s list tonight. She tripled on a ball hit to deep left field. Anyone who knows Olivia, knows she will most likely score if she’s on third base. She didn’t disappoint. The next batter hit a hard grounder to third. Instead of taking the fielder’s choice at first, the third baseman saw Olivia advancing to the plate and went for – what should have been – an easy tag play at home. However, the TC defense failed to take into account two things: Oliva’s speed, and her wicked hook slide. Olivia easily slid around the tag, and put another run up on the scoreboard for West Po, giving them a 3-0 lead after 4 innings of play.

West Po’s defense stood strong in the top of 5. Kudos to Annabelle Miller for chasing down an accidental bunt and getting the out at first; and to Kate Gregory for making a great back-hand play on a grounder up the middle, securing the out. Raven made some spectacular catches at first. Who knew she was so flexible?! Oh to be 16 again.

By the bottom of the 6^th, the West Po batters had figured out how to adjust to this pitcher from T.C. Their bats came alive. Olivia started things off with a single. She then safely stole second base, putting herself in scoring position. Maddie Miller followed suit, finding that hole between third and short, scoring Olivia. Nikki Minnis then hit a fly ball to deep left center, scoring Maddie. Raven reached on an error, scoring Nikki. Then Annabelle found that same hole between third and short, getting herself safely on base.  (Whew, this blogger really had to pay attention during this inning.) After 6 innings, West Po was up 6-0.

Enter Christina Dillard in the top of 7. Christina pitched amazingly, securing the shutout for West Po. Striking out one, she left the rest to her defense who was backing her every step of the way. Maddie made a nice catch in right field, and Nikki showed off her skills by making an awesome on-the-run, over-the-shoulder catch. Final score:  6-0 West Po.

Wolverine Whispers: The next game is Wednesday, April 2^nd against Westfield. Jayne Orleans struck out 12 tonight, with 5 of those looking. Olivia had 2 hits tonight. The defense rocked. You will most likely have to endure two more articles from this blogger while Glen is still vacationing half-way across the world.  Remember when you read this … some stats may be slightly off -but nothing significant. (This blogger is also a socialite, and has trouble multitasking:  taking notes, taking pics, and keeping up community relations - aka: chatting with her friends - is almost more than she can handle. Almost.)  Go West Po!