2008
CH: Easton
F: McDonough
SF: Eastern Tech
SF: Century
2A WEST (#1 seed)
#1 Walkersville 15-3
def 13-4 Clarksburg 5-0
2A NORTH (#4 seed)
#2 Lansdowne 14-4
def Eastern Tech 8-1
2A EAST (#3 seed)
#1 Easton 19-0
def Rising Sun (16-2) 2-0
2A SOUTH (#2 seed)
#1 McDonough 17-0
def 19-2 Gwynn Park 6-0
McDonough 4 Lansdowne 0 (2A Final)
(5/23) "Rams Win Behind Mitchell" Melanie Mitchell couldn't win a state softball title on her own, but she came pretty close. The McDonough senior All-Met tied a Maryland championship game record with 19 strikeouts to cap the fourth-ranked Rams' perfect season with a 4-0 victory over Lansdowne in the 2A final at the University of Maryland. Following the path of recent All-Met hurlers from Southern Maryland, Mitchell's numbers this season were similarly mind-boggling. The 6-foot-1 right-hander allowed one run all season and shut out her final 17 opponents. She recorded 315 of the Rams' 399 outs via strikeout, while allowing 22 hits -- two to Lansdowne -- and four walks. It was particularly sweet for Mitchell and the Rams, who lost, 1-0, in last year's final after scoring just 17 runs all season. They knew they needed more offense if they were to win a title. "Coming into the season, we knew we had to put some focus on the offense, and the girls buckled down," said Mitchell, who will play for Virginia. "It's a fantastic feeling." It is the first championship for McDonough (19-0) since the Rams won four straight from 1995 to '98. They clinched it early, knowing one run was likely all they'd need. In the bottom of the second, with runners on second and third, McDonough senior Jasmine Hairston fouled off eight straight pitches before lining the next one off the glove of Vikings pitcher Maude McCourry to score Samantha Kruemmel. Umpires disputed Lansdowne's claim of a McDonough base runner interfering with fielding the ricocheted shot. Molly Simpson then scored on a groundout, and Jazzmyn Hayden singled home Hairston to give McDonough a 3-0 lead. Mitchell's RBI double in the fifth finished the scoring. Lansdowne (15-5), playing in its first final in 28 years, never threatened Mitchell. She struck out the first nine batters and threw 71 of her 98 pitches for strikes. "Just like the others that came through [Southern Maryland] and won state championships," Rams Coach Julie Snavely said, "it was special to have coached" Mitchell. Source: WaPo SMAC Is Packed: McDonough is the fifth Southern Maryland Athletic Conference team to win a state title this decade, joining Calvert, Huntington, Northern and Thomas Stone. The conference has won a title every year since 1992, except for 1999, 2003 and '04. Untouchable: It wasn't until Melanie Mitchell's 32nd pitch of the game -- the eighth batter -- that Lansdowne made contact. The 0-2 pitch was fouled off, before the batter struck out on the next pitch. Source: WaPo
"Mitchell, McDonough Complete Mission" Standing 6-foot-1, Melanie Mitchell strikes an imposing presence on the mound. She's not a bad pitcher, either.In her final start in a McDonough uniform Saturday, the senior capped a dominating spring, tying a state-record with 19 strikeouts as the Rams defeated Lansdowne, 4-0, in the Class 2A state title game at the University of Maryland's Robert E. Taylor Stadium. It's the fifth championship for the Charles County school, and first since 1998 when the Rams completed a string of four consecutive crowns. Junior shortstop Samatha Kruemmel and freshman third basemen Molly Simpson each had two hits and scored once for McDonough (19-0 overall) with Jazzmyn Hayden, Jasmine Hairston and Mitchell providing RBI hits. Sophomore Kelly Pease had two hits for Lansdowne (15-5). Mitchell, who will play for the University of Virginia next spring, didn't allowed an earned run this season. She joins former Calvert standout Megan Elliott (Arizona State) and Stephanie Speierman of Hammond to strike out 19 batters in a state title game. Mitchell out-dueled Speierman, who's headed to Michigan, in the South Region semifinals last week. A year ago, Mitchell and the Rams left College Park dejected after a tough 2-1 decision to Easton in the state title game. Mitchell said she didn't imagined a season of perfection at the start of the spring. "It's always the ultimate goal, but you can never predict it," said Mitchell, "but when it happens, it feels pretty good." "We're 100-percent confident in Melanie. There's not enough words to describe how awesome she is and how much we're going to miss her next year," said Kruemmel. "This is an awesome way to end her senior year." Mitchell struck out the first nine Lansdowne batters before Pease sliced a pitch down the leftfield line for an opposite field double. Mitchell promptly retired the next three batters via strikeout, and struck out the side in the fifth, giving her 17 strikeouts for the fourth straight postseason match. "It was good to get those first three batters down so it takes a little pressure off your defense," said Mitchell. "It puts the other team in the mindset of having to score in the later innings." The Rams put Lansdowne on the defensive in the second inning as Kruemmel opened with a single, then Laura Borawski bunted her over to second. Simpson singled Kruemmel to third, and Simpson moved up to second on a throw to home. After fouling off eight consecutive pitches, Hairston connected on a liner that deflected off Lansdowne's pitcher Maude McCourry's glove for an infield single, scoring Kruemmel. Lansdowne coach Jamie Izdebski appealed to the umpires that Simpson interferred with shortstop Emilee Ray on the play, but the umpires consulted and the play held up. A RBI groundout by Katelyn Westerfield and Hayden singled home Hairston for a 3-0 Rams lead. In the fifth, Stacy Tiscione reached on an error and Mitchell sent a high fly ball to the rightfield warning track for a RBI double. "We rely on Melanie day in and day out. We just know we got to put runs on the board," said McDonough coach Julie Snavely. "SMAC [Southern Maryland Athletic Conference] hitters provide great competition. It's unbelievable she didn't give up an earned run all year." "She's a very smart pitcher. She uses her placement, changes speed," said Izdebski. "You don't see the ball getting by the catcher. She's tall and that adds another dimension." Izdebski was proud of McCourry, a freshman who allowed only one hit after the second inning. With six of Saturday's starters primed to return next spring, Izdebski expects several more trips to the state Final Four in the near future for the Vikings, whose prior appearance was 1987. "Nobody expected us here," said Izdebski, whose team beat Walkersville in the semifinal round Tuesday at Bachman Park in Glen Burnie. "I told the girls there's no place I rather be on a Saturday than at College Park playing in the state championship." Snavely echoed those same words as McDonough completed its return atop the state softball mountain. Snavely said the Rams were confident since the beginning of preseason practice in March. "We never officially talked about it, I think it was in the back of everybody's minds we're going to the state championship," said Snavely. "I'm happy for the girls who are leaving for college. They got it done." "For a while we were practicing indoors so we couldn't see the light of day," joked Mitchell. "Now that it's nice and sunny it's a great feeling." Source: DigitalSports.com
McDonough 1 Easton 0 (State Semi-Final)
(5/19) The McDonough players tried to tell themselves this semi-final was like any other game but no matter how much they repeated that mantra, the fourth-ranked Rams wanted to prove they belonged in the MD 2A final for the second stratight season. Last year they lost to Easton 2-1; this year they gained some measure of revenge in the SF. Led by All-Met P Melanie Mitchell (17 strikeouts) the 18-0 Rams secured a spot in the final and will try again to gain their first state title since 1998. Mitchell. who has 296 Ks this year, and the Rams played their sixth one-run game of the year, while Easton played just its first. In fact, Easton came in boasting 198 runs and 216 hits. The lone run came early and Mitchell made it hold up. Leadoff hitter Janice Spearbeck, a senior, singled in the bottom of the first, advanced on a walk, then raced home on when Sam Kruemmel singled to the SS. "Last year was a heartbreaker for us, but it wasn't like they blew us out. We knew we could get back to the final," said Spearbeck. Source: WaPo
Walkersville 5 Clarksburg 0 (2A West Final)
(5/14) For the Lions' share of Friday's Class 2A West Region softball championship game, Walkersville High pitcher Erin McNally made her two-run, first-inning single stand up. In the bottom of the sixth inning her battery-mate, junior Karson Tuck, removed all doubt. McNally's three-hit shutout and two-run single and Tuck's three-run home run to left-center field were the highlights in the top-seeded Lions' 5-0 win over No. 2 Clarksburg. Walkersville (15-3) now advances to face the winner of the 2A North Region, either Eastern Tech or Lansdowne, in the state semifinals Tuesday at Bachman Park in Glen Burnie. "As a senior, I don't think anyone could ask for any more than this," McNally said. "I don't know anything about any of the teams we'll see in states, but we've come this far and I don't expect to lose." It was Walkersville's first region title since 2001, and fourth overall. For McNally's — or any current senior's — entire career, the region has been the sole province of three-time defending champion Century, which was finally beaten in Wednesday's semifinal round by Clarksburg (13-4). The Coyotes, in just their third varsity season, have made a deeper run in the playoffs each year. They graduate catcher Erin Bloodgood, who led the team with a .526 batting average this season and had one of three Clarksburg hits against McNally. But seven of nine starters return next season, including left-handed pitcher Riley Wilson, who struck out a combined 25 batters against Century and Walkersville. And one more step will see them in the state playoffs, albeit at the 3A level in 2010. "This was a tremendous step forward for us," Clarksburg coach Larry Hurd said. "We're developing into one of the better programs in the county. We came up against a very good team today, and we were their equal. We made one mistake early, and they made no errors." With one out in the first inning, Katy McNally (1 for 2) took a Wilson pitch off the helmet, then stole second base. Tori Conrad (2 for 3) followed by beating out an infield single, but first baseman Briana Gomez turned and gunned down McNally, trying to score from second. Conrad took second on the throw home, leaving first base open with Tuck and her .680 batting average coming to the plate. Hurd intentionally walked Tuck before Erin McNally (2 for 3) followed by rapping a single straight up the middle, and a hesitant relay throw from the outfield allowed both runners to score. "I think mentally, scoring those two runs early gave me one step up on the other team," Erin McNally said. But Wilson settled down after that, striking out at least two batters in each of the next four innings, including Tuck in the third. Clarksburg's best chance came in the top of the fourth inning, when it loaded the bases with one out. Bloodgood (1 for 2) and Michelle Sloan (1 for 2, walk) hit back-to-back singles, and Mandy Le watched four straight balls go by. But shortstop Nikki Warnert scooped a dribbler and forced Bloodgood out at home for the second out, and McNally took care of the final out herself with one of her eight strikeouts. Hope remained for Clarksburg until Tuck stepped to the plate with two on and nobody out in the bottom of the sixth. "We were in a situation where we had to pitch to her," Hurd said. "I was [frustrated]," Tuck said. "She got me on the riseball in my first at-bat, and getting walked in the first, that was frustrating, too." She took out her frustration on the ball, and sent the Lions into the state semifinals in the process. Source: Gazette
Clarksburg 2 Century 0 (2A West SF)
(5/13) Riley Wilson struck out 12 with no walks en-route to a one-hit shutout against the previous three-time regional champion, Century. The Coyotes gain a measure of revenge against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs in 2008, and sending Clarksburg to the regional finals for the first time in the young school's history.
McDonough 2 Hammond 0 (2A South SF) -- Mitchell perfect against Hammond
(5/13) In a battle of two of the best pitchers in Maryland, Melanie Mitchell pitched a 17-strikeout, perfect game and McDonough scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to defeat Stephanie Speierman and visiting Hammond 2-0 in a 2A South semifinal on Wednesday afternoon. McDonough's Stacy Tiscione laced a one-out single -- the only hit on either side all day -- and was followed by Mitchell's walk. Sammi Kruemmel dropped a bunt to the 1B side and advanced when the throw to first was off the mark. Both McD-runners came in to score. Mitchell then shut down the Gophers in order in the top of the seventh to secure the victory. Hammond ended the game on a pop up to second and a grounder to third; the only inning wherein Hammond put the ball into fair play more than once. While Hammond never put a runner on base (hence, the perfect game) McDonough had runners in scoring position in the 1st, 3rd and 4th innings, but Stephanie Seierman pitched out of trouble each time. Speireman, now the all-time state career strikeout holder (formerly Megan Elliott, 20-0 at Arizona State last year) struck out 12, gave up the one hit, and walked five to end her stellar career. Mitchell now extends her fabulous career . . and McDonough becomes the prohibitive favorite in the 2A draw. Source: DigitalSports.com
#2 Clarksburg 3 South Hagerstown 2 (2A West)
(5/11 and 5/12) Clarksburg fell behind early on Monday after giving up 2 unearned runs and stranding several runners on base before heavy rain suspended the game after two innings. Riley Wilson held the Lady Rebels at bay by striking out 13, no earned runs, and giving up only three base hits in the game. Clarksburg racked up plenty of hits and stranded plenty of runners, but clutch hitting by Becca Taff (2-2 with a double) and a bases clearing double by Caitlyn Scalzi to tie the game, followed by and RBI single by Ana Hackett to give the Coyotes the lead and they never looked back. Amber Ratliff was also 2-2 with a double. Source: Pv parent
North Point 12 River Hill 3 (2A South)
(5/11) After outscoring its opponents 53-0 over its previous four games, North Point's softball team finally allowed a run in its 2A South quarterfinal with the visiting River Hill Hawks on Monday. The 11th-seeded Eagles fell behind early, but came back and cruised to the 12-3 win over the region's No. 14 seed. North Point plays at No. 2 seed Gwynn Park at 4 p.m. on Wednesday with a spot in the regional final on the line. Source: DigitalSports.com
McDonough 9 Marriotts Ridge 0 (2A South)
(5/11) Top-seeded McDonough advanced to the 2A South semifinals by virtue of a 9-0 win over ninth-seeded Marriotts Ridge on Monday. The Rams, who have surrendered just one run this season, are set to host fourth-seeded Hammond -- a 3-1 winner over Patuxent on Monday -- on Wednesday at 4 p.m. source: DigitalSports.com
Lansdowne 21 Samuel Banks 0 (2A North)
5/11 Emilee Ray went 3-for-4 with seven RBI and Maude McCourry retired all 12 batters she faced as Lansdowne advanced to the Class 2A state North Region semifinals with a 21-0 victory over Samuel L. Banks in Monday's quarterfinal round. The Vikings will host Baltimore City Division I champ and 20th ranked Poly Wednesday afternoon for a spot in Friday's region title game. Sophomore Jesse Dore drove in three runs, and McCourry, Stephanie Luedtke and Christine Gavin had two RBIs apiece. McCourry struck out nine batters. source: DigitalSports.com
Hammond 3 Patuxent 1 (2A South) -- Speierman sets record for career strikeouts
(5/11) Hammond senior pitcher Stephanie Speierman has been one of the top pitchers in the State of Maryland since she stepped inside the pitcher's circle as a freshman. Since then, Speierman has been named Howard County's softball Player of the Year three times and has led her team to a County and State title. On Monday afternoon, the Michigan-bound, flame-thrower broke Maryland's all-time strikeout record and helped the Golden Bears to a 3-1 victory over Patuxent in the Class 2A South Regional Quarterfinals. Speierman threw a no-hitter, striking out 15 Panthers to bring her total to 1,351 K's and counting.The previous record was set in 2006 when Calvert’s Megan Elliott ended her career with 1,345 strikeouts. Elliott is now the ace of the pitching at Arizona State after going 20-0 last season. In 2007, Speierman pitched a no-hitter in the Class 2A State finals to make Hammond the first softball team from Howard County to win a state title. That season, she set the state records for most strikeouts in a game (19), wins in a season (23) and strikeouts in a season (426). Against Patuxent, Kayla Hunley had a two-run double that scored Lauren Taylor and Sarah McCauley to give the Golden Bears a 2-0 lead early. Speierman did the rest, holding Patuxent to one run and striking out 15 in seven innings. Next, Hammond will travel to unbeated McDonough (15-0) on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the Class 2A South Regional Semifinals. Source: Digital Sports.com
Hammond 10 Central 0 (5) (2A South)
(5/7) After defeating Central 10-0 on Thursday, Hammond was presented the Howard County championship -- over Howard. Due to the rains, Hammond (13-2 in both league and overall play) and Howard (13-3 overall, 12-3 league) a 3A power, were overdue to meet for the HoCo championship. The latest rescheduled date was rained out, and with the Regional playoffs beginning, the HoCo title game was cancelled for good, and the championship awarded to the best-record Hammond Golden Bears. Senior P Stephanie Speierman (Michagan signee) has been dominant since she was a freshman. Hammond -- behind Speierman -- has allowed just 12 runs over the course of 15 games, the lowest in the County. Against Central, Speierman struck out 12 in the 5-inning mercy-ruled game. Source: DigitalSports.com
Lansdowne (15-4)
def Walkersville 4-1
McDonough (18-0)
def Easton 1-0
2009
2A
McDonough
4-0
C: McDonough 19-0
F: Lansdowne 15-5
SF: Walkersville 15-4
SF: Easton 19-1
