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Battlefield is pretty darned good, as Liberty already knows
When Battlefield slugger Courtney Liddle and her coach Joe Schelzo argue about architecture, it has nothing to do with building a softball program.There’s no debating Schelzo in that realm. With a 17-0 victory over Liberty on Friday, Schelzo’s Battlefield Bobcats are 15-0 this season and ranked 11th in the national USA TODAY/NFCA High School Top 25 poll. They’re on a quest to improve upon their 25-4 record from 2008, when they won Cedar Run District and Northwest Region championships and finished the AAA state tournament as runner-up.
Instead, Liddle argues with Schelzo about Battlefield’s field dimensions.
Liddle would like to see a temporary fence installed in the middle of Battlefield’s unusually deep outfield, so she can hit balls over it. As is, Liddle has hit six home runs on her home field, but all have been of the inside-the-park variety, while her two homers on the road have cleared shorter outfield fences.
Liddle hit two inside-the-park home runs Friday, in fact, lacing line drives into the deep gaps of the Bobcats’ field.
“I’m always telling him I want a fence on this field and Schelzo’s argument is those probably would have been doubles if we had a fence,” Liddle said. “I guess on our field, if you hit line drives like that it’s a little advantage because if you can run them out you can get all four [bases].”
Liddle finished the game with five RBIs, while other Bobcats also took advantage of the vast outfield and helped Battlefield score 11 runs in the second inning to blow the game open. Bailey Liddle finished with one home run, while Shannon Cleary and Jessica Anglin added two hits a piece.
“It’s a huge field,” Liberty coach Charlie Padgett said. “The fence is way back, so when the gap is hit, they hit the burners and score.”
Liberty (2-12 overall, 2-8 district) isn’t alone is losing a lopsided game to Battlefield (15-0, 11-0). The Bobcats have won seven games by 10-run mercy rule and finished last week having outscored its last three opponents 58-1, including Fauquier, 20-1, on April 28.
Liberty meanwhile, has been outscored 125-18 this season. Friday’s loss was still one of its worst, though.
“That wasn’t much fun for me or them, or anybody,” Padgett said. “They’re just much better than we are at this time. That’s a stacked team.”
The Bobcats have even become celebrities, of sorts. After Friday’s game they took time to pose for pictures with some young fans...
See the Wednesday print edition of the Fauquier Times-Democrat for the complete story.
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