|
|||||||||||||
Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Hawks repeat as state softball champs
Twenty-one innings.
Two hundred and fifty-six pitches.
And, after several hours, another state title for the Highland softball team.
The sixth-seeded Hawks (16-8) battled through an epic Saturday in Richmond — beating No. 1 Greenbrier (27-2 overall) 2-0 in 12 innings for the VIS Division II state championship, just shortly after a 4-3 nine-inning semifinal victory over No. 2 Brunswick Academy.
Maire Shaughnessy was in the circle for all 21 innings.
"I was beginning to wonder how long it was going to go," Shaughnessy said. "I never take myself out of a game, so [coach Donald O'Meara] was going to have to pull me out."
She threw a whopping 256 pitches on the day, the last of which became a bunt attempt that Shaughnessy fielded and threw to Hannah Safren for the title game's final out, sending the exhausted Hawks into jubilation.
"That's the best pitching performance that I've ever been involved in," O'Meara said.
"I remember Hannah throwing the ball up in the air and we looked at each other and started screaming," junior Morgan Stephens said.
Stephens delivered the championship game-winning hit.
Tied 0-0 in the top of the 12th, Miller singled and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Stephens then bombed a double off Greenbrier pitcher Brittany Lane — who took a perfect game into the sixth — scoring Miller.
"I was just ecstatic, I was freaking out on second base," Stephens said...
See the Wednesday print edition of the Fauquier Times-Democrat for the complete story.
You must be logged in to post a comment.