Varsity Softball Results

2008 Varsity Softball

Excerpts and Links to Media Reports:
Please note: Some older stories may not be available online.

Mar. 26, Gazette: Wootton softball experienced, motivated

For most, March Madness is about college basketball: filling out brackets and following your favorite teams. But for Montgomery County softball players, it’s about battling the area’s unpredictable spring weather, like Saturday’s snow flurries, and getting ready for the start of a new season. ...

Bethesda-Chevy Chase struggled to a 4-13 record in 2007. But it also didn’t really have a pitcher. This year’s pitcher, senior Ryan Green, was slated to take care of business in the circle last year but was deemed ineligible. So junior first baseman Emily Becker, who only had slow pitch experience, volunteered herself.

Green is back. B-CC’s defense should be tighter now. And no one graduated, so the Barons’ strong offense, powered by senior catcher Ginna Roach (.392, 21 RBI) and senior third baseman Megan Wainwright (.324, 11 RBI) is back. If the Barons can continue to score consistently, they’ll be a tough opponent for any team.

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May 16, 2007, Gazette: Barons exit softball playoffs at hands of Urbana

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase softball team’s season ended Friday in a 15-0, Class 3A West Region tournament first-round loss to Urbana.

The defeat marked the end of a streaky season, but one in which the Barons (4-13) progressed consistently throughout.

‘‘Despite our record we made great strides in our ability to hit the ball,” second-year B-CC coach Chad Mack said. ‘‘We were only shut out in three games and often put up runs in bunches.”

The Barons’ 2007 campaign got off to a rough start when just prior to the season Mack was informed his go-to pitcher had been deemed ineligible. However first baseman Emily Becker, who only had slow-pitch experience, volunteered to step inside the pitching circle.

Given the dire situation, she did a good job of holding things together for B-CC this year. Becker was backed by a solid defensive unit. Junior catcher Ginna Roach led the team at the plate with a .392 batting average with three home runs, three triples and a team-high 21 runs batted in.

Junior third baseman Megan Wainwright inspired her peers, overcoming devastating injuries in a car accident last year to bat .324 with three home runs and 11 RBI.

The Barons will have a fighting chance to improve next year, as their entire starting line up returns next year. And they’re hoping that the added year of varsity experience will prove beneficial in 2008.

‘‘I want to continue our progress hitting and improve our defense,” Mack said. ‘‘We made good contact with the ball all year now we need to add more power to our hits. If we improve our pitching, I think we have a real chance to be a contender next year.”

Game reports:

May 13: 3A West Regional Quarterfinals
B-CC 6, Wheaton 5

The B-CC varsity softball team came from behind Tuesday night at home to beat Wheaton, 6-5, in its first game in the regional playoff tournament.

Avenging an earlier regular season loss, the Lady Barons relied on the focused pitching from senior Ryan Greene and tough defense in the field to keep the game close going into the late innings. With a 0-0 tie in the third inning, and the bases loaded for Wheaton with one out, outfielder Olivia Ferguson hauled in a long fly ball to right, saving several runs. Although Wheaton scored as the runner at third tagged up, the Barons survived the scare with a good defensive play by Alyssa Puritz to snag a sharp grounder and step on third for the final out of the inning.

B-CC finally broke onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning on hits by Ferguson and Emily Becker, as senior Meg Wainwright brought them home on a long hit to left field, allowing B-CC to take the lead, 2-1. Wheaton came back to tie the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth, but with runners on second and third with one out, the Barons got out of the inning on a double play orchestrated by Puritz (at 3rd), Becker (at 1st) and Ginna Roach (catcher), ending with the third base runner caught in a rundown for the final out.

Both teams scored in the sixth inning, with Wheaton leading 5-4 going into the final inning. The Barons held Wheaton scoreless in the top of the seventh, but still trailed by one as they got up for their last at bat. With one runner on and two outs, Ginna Roach hit a long line drive into center field. Trying for home to tie the score, Ferguson was first called out at the plate, and the Wheaton bench erupted in celebration of what they thought was a win. The umpire reversed the call, however, ruling that the Wheaton second baseman had obstructed the runner and allowing the score, tying the game 5-5. One pitch later, Roach scored on a passed ball from third base to win the game and send the Barons into the regional quarterfinals against Damascus.

- Reported by Mary Becker

May 7: B-CC 12, Whitman 10

The Barons softball team ended their regular season in a blaze of glory with a come from behind win (12-10) over the Whitman Vikings on Wednesday, featuring standout performances from seniors catcher Ginna Roach, pitcher Ryan Greene, center fielder Kathy Hucek, shortstop Megan Wainwright and junior first baseman Emily Becker.

The Barons started off strong when Ginna Roach slugged a two-run home run to center field. The inning ended tied at 3-3 when rookie Alyssa Puritz snagged a sharp line drive to third base.

At the end of the second inning, the Barons had stepped into a 7-3 hole. Fired up by Roach’s second home run, the Barons fought back to score six runs and tie the game at 10-10 in the top of the fifth inning. A strong defense led by Megan Wainwright at shortstop held the Vikings scoreless for the rest of the game.

Whitman was stopped in the sixth when rookie Rachel Natoli fielded a grounder to third and threw home to force an out. Second baseman Meddie Hucek caught a pop fly to hold the Vikings scoreless going into the final inning.

With two outs shadowing the Barons and the score tied at 10-10, Ginna Roach got to first on an error, setting up Emily Becker’s clutch home run to left field, making it 12 for the Barons. The Vikings had one more chance to catch up, but the Barons' defense did them in. Emily Becker raced from first to catch a foul pop-up against the fence. Catcher Ginna Roach jumped up to catch the next foul pop-up, and Ryan Greene capped her regular season career on the mound by striking out the last batter.

The Barons evened their record at 8-8 and won a bye in the first round of playoffs. They will face Wheaton in their first playoff game on Monday, May 12, at 4:00 on their home field at Lynbrook Park. Turn out to cheer the girls to VICTORY!

- Reported by JoAnn Symons

May 5: B-CC 13, Rockville 3

The Lady Barons’ bats were on fire Monday night, beating the Rockville Rams 13-3 in five innings. B-CC combined its good hitting with a sterling performance by senior pitcher Ryan Greene, who held the Rams (who have had two 17-run games this season) to 3 hits. B-CC honored its graduating seniors, Ginna Roach, Kathy Hucek, Megan Wainwright, Leah Wald, and Ryan Greene, during a pre-game ceremony and post-game refreshments.

B-CC broke out early in the 1st inning on a hit by leadoff batter Olivia Ferguson, who stole every base, including home, for the first run. After a hit by Emily Becker and heads-up base running by Megan Wainwright to reach first on a dropped third strike, Ryan Greene batted in two runs on her sharp grounder to shortstop, putting the Barons ahead 3-0. During the Rockville half of the second inning the game was interrupted for about half an hour as an ambulance was called for a Rockville player injured on a slide into second base. (Reports later confirmed the Rockville player, Danielle Gilbert, broke her ankle on the play.) When the game continued, Rockville scored one run, leaving two on base. The Barons added a run in the bottom of the second when the Rams’ first baseman came off the bag, allowing Ferguson to reach the base safely. Ferguson later scored on Kathy Hucek’s single, and the inning ended with a score of 4-1. Each team scored one run in the third inning, with the Barons’ run coming on a sacrifice fly by Rachel Natoli, scoring Megan Wainwright, who had led off the inning with a sharp hit to left field.

B-CC padded its lead in the 4th inning on a leadoff double by Olivia Ferguson, who scored on Kathy Hucek’s single to center. Hucek later scored on a steal home, and Ginna Roach, who was awarded first because she was hit by a pitch, also came in to score, leaving the Barons in front 8-2. Rockville scored one run in the fifth, and B-CC led 8-3 going into the bottom of the inning. Marilyn Hucek led off the hitting with a sharp double to left field, and after stealing third, scored on Alyssa Puritz’s grounder to second, making the score 9-3. After Rockville issued a walk to Caroline Symons, a hit by Lauren Becker into deep center field moved Symons to third. In the next at bat, speedy senior Kathy Hucek beat out a throw to first as Rockville held Symons at third and Lauren Becker at second. With the bases loaded, Ginna Roach recorded an RBI by drawing the throw to first as she ran on a dropped third strike, building B-CC’s lead to 10-3. With two runners on, Emily Becker roped a ball into deep center field for a walk-off three-run home run to end the game 13-3 under the ten-run mercy rule.

May 2: Richard Montgomery 10, B-CC 0

On a beautiful Friday evening, the B-CC Lady Barons varsity softball team ran into a tough Richard Montgomery squad, falling 10-0 in six innings to the Rockets, who were honoring their seniors in their last home game of the regular season. The Barons’ defense sparkled, committing no errors in the game, recording two double plays, and holding the Rockets to one run in the first three innings. In the first inning, B-CC centerfielder Kathy Hucek recorded the first out with a nice running catch, and the inning ended when a sharp line drive was caught by Rachel Natoli at third, who quickly fired to Emily Becker at first to double up the runner for the third out. The second inning also ended when shortstop Megan Wainwright caught a line drive and then threw to Becker at first to again double up the runner and end the inning. The Rockets’ bats caught fire in the later innings, however, while Richard Montgomery’s pitcher silenced B-CC’s bats, allowing only two hits in the game, singles by Olivia Ferguson and Ginna Roach, and one walk. The Lady Barons’ record now stands at 6-8.

- Reported by Mary Becker

Apr. 26: Damascus 13, B-CC 2

The undefeated Damascus Swarming Hornets stung the B-CC softball team 13-2 in a home game on a sunny Saturday. Despite solid fielding by the Barons defense, particularly a good running catch by Caroline Symons in center field, Damascus had its bats going to win in five innings. B-CC’s scores came in the third inning. After being hit by a pitch, Alyssa Puritz scored on aggressive base running and a hit by Marilyn Hucek, who was knocked in on a hit by Ginna Roach. B-CC’s only other hits came from Emily Becker and Olivia Ferguson.

- Reported by Mary Becker

Apr. 24: Clarksburg 11, B-CC 1

The Lady Barons varsity softball team was held to only two hits against strong Clarksburg pitching in an away game that was stopped after five innings. The Barons’ only score came in the fifth inning following a hit by Olivia Ferguson. After stealing second, Ferguson was bunted to third base by Kathy Hucek and knocked home by Lauren Becker. B-CC’s other hit was made by speedy Hucek on a bunt single in the second inning.

- Reported by Mary Becker

Apr. 23: B-CC 13, Watkins Mill 4

Watkins Mill stays close, but Barons explode in 7th for win!

The Barons varsity softball team started strong and finished stronger, scoring eight runs in the 7th inning to seal a 13-4 win against the Watkins Mill Wolverines on their home field on Wednesday. The Barons never trailed as they pounded out sixteen hits, led by catcher Ginna Roach, who sent a home run sailing over the left field fence and had four RBIs. Left fielder Caroline Symons led the team with three hits. Marilyn Hucek, Ryan Greene, Kathy Hucek, Megan Wainwright, and Ginna Roach each finished with two hits, and Emily Becker, Lauren Becker, and Alyssa Puritz each added one hit. Speedy Kathy Hucek stole three bases.

The Barons looked sharp on defense, holding the Wolverines scoreless in five innings. Olivia Ferguson in right and Kathy Hucek in center caught long balls hit to the outfield. Pitcher Ryan Greene struck out six batters as the Barons increased their record to 5-4.

Apr. 19: B-CC 17, Northwood 4

The Barons pitching and defense came alive after that, shutting down Northwood the rest of the game. In the third inning senior pitcher Ryan Greene recorded three straight strikeouts against the Gladiators’ batters, and hits by Emily Becker, Caroline Symons, and Rachel Natoli tied the game at 4-4. With the bases loaded for Northwood and no outs in the top of the fourth inning, Greene showed nerves of steel to strike out three straight Northwood batters and leave all three runners on base.

B-CC moved ahead 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning, as hits by Puritz and Greene led to two B-CC runs as Becker knocked them in with two outs. While Northwood batters finally got some wood on the ball in the fifth, the B-CC infield defense was perfect in getting three straight outs. The Barons offense exploded in the last two innings, culminating in a three-run homer by Becker to end the game by the mercy rule.

B-CC (4-4) recorded a season-best 22 hits as well as 22 stolen bases in the game. The Hucek sisters combined for 12 of the stolen bases (Kathy 7, Marilyn 5) and hits came from: E. Becker (5), M. Hucek (4), Greene (3), Puritz (3, including a double), K. Hucek (3), Wainwright, Symons, Natoli, and Ferguson.

Apr. 15: Paint Branch 4, B-CC 2

Pitcher Ryan Greene held the Paint Branch Panthers to six scoreless innings and allowed only three hits on Tuesday in a strong showing by the Barons. The final score was Barons 2, Panthers 4.

The Barons produced a strong defensive effort. In the second inning, catcher Ginna Roach picked off a runner with a sharp throw to shortstop Megan Wainwright. Second baseman Marilyn Hucek made all three outs in the third inning when she caught a pop fly and fielded two grounders to Emily Becker at first. Several errors in the fourth inning let in the only Panther runs of the game. The Barons answered in the bottom of the inning when Marilyn Hucek drove in two runs with the bases loaded. Ginna Roach, Olivia Ferguson, and Kathy Hucek each added a hit for the Barons. The Barons' record stands at 2-1 in division play, 3-3 overall.

- Reported by JoAnn Symons

Apr. 12: B-CC 11, Kennedy 1

Playing its best game of the season thus far, the Lady Barons softball team defeated the Kennedy Cavaliers, 11-1, in a home game on Saturday. The Barons' defense continued to show improvement in fielding, holding the Cavaliers to one run in a game stopped in the fifth inning because of the mercy rule. Pitcher Ryan Greene combined precise pitching with her own good hitting (3 hits) as she again pitched a complete game. The Barons padded their lead with aggressive and smart base running, while shutting down Kennedy with good catches in the outfield and sharp infield putouts.

One of the highlights of the game, however, came during the third inning as coach Brian Robinson was pressed into dogcatcher duties as he ran out and picked up a border collie camped out in right field. The win put B-CC in a tie for first place in its division with Paint Branch, its opponent in an important game at home on Tuesday, April 15. Hits in the game came from: Ryan Greene (3), Caroline Symons, Ginna Roach, Olivia Ferguson, and Leah Wald.

- Reported by Mary Becker

Apr. 10: B-CC 11, Einstein 6

The Barons withstood a comeback attempt by the Einstein Titans in the 7th inning to gain a tie for their division lead with an 11-6 win on Thursday, April 10. The team turned in a balanced offensive and defensive effort. With consistent hitting, the Barons scored in all but one inning. Three players – Kathy Hucek, Rachel Natoli, and Caroline Symons — had two hits. Ginna Roach, Lauren Becker, Emily Becker, Olivia Ferguson and Ryan Greene each added a hit. Caroline Symons stretched a triple into a home run with a slide into home in the 6th inning. In the Barons' final at-bat, rookie Rachel Natoli had a strong hit to center field.

Defensive highlights included catcher Ginna Roach picking off a runner at first with a quick throw to Emily Becker. Rachael Natoli ran in from third base to catch a pop-up bunt in the same inning. After the Titans scored three runs in the final inning, Ryan Greene sealed the win with a strikeout. The team's record stands at 2-2.

- Reported by JoAnn Symons

Apr. 8: Seneca Valley 18, B-CC 4

Playing their second game in two days, the Lady Barons fell to perennial powerhouse Seneca Valley 18-4 at home on Tuesday. As B-CC continued an unfortunate pattern of allowing opponents a big first inning, the Seneca Valley Eagles took a 7-0 lead with potent hitting. The Barons' defense tightened up in the second inning with three straight outs, the second coming on a fantastic running catch by Cathy Hucek in deep center field. The Barons hitting came alive in the later innings, but the team stranded too many runners to overcome Seneca Valley's offensive effort.

Senior Ryan Greene pitched the entire game (for the second day in a row) and forced several strikeouts from the experienced Eagles lineup. With 10 hits in the game, the Barons should gain confidence going into Thursday's matchup against Einstein. Hits came from: Emily Becker (2), Ginna Roach (3-including a monster triple to center field), Megan Wainwright (2), Olivia Ferguson (1), Caroline Symons (1), and Alyssa Puritz (1).

- Reported by Mary Becker

Apr. 7: B-CC 17, Churchill 9

It took the Barons two innings to warm up on a chilly home opener against the Churchill Bulldogs on Monday. The team rallied from a 0-8 deficit to take a 9-8 lead in the third inning with six hits, including a home run by Ginna Roach. The Barons' defense held Churchill to only one more run.

Pitcher Ryan Green pitched all seven innings, allowing only five hits. The Barons finished with nine hits, including a home run by Megan Wainwright.

Caroline Symons had two hits. The offense was balanced with a hit by each of five additional players – Emily Becker, Olivia Ferguson, Rachel Natoli, Kathy Hucek, Marilyn Hucek, and Alyssa Puritz. Every Lady Baron reached base during the game and scored a run! The team is 1-1 for the season.

- Reported by JoAnn Symons

Apr. 1: Wootton 14, B-CC-1

The Lady Barons softball team opened its 2008 varsity season on a balmy sunny afternoon at Wootton High School on Tuesday. Although the weather was gorgeous for softball, a very tough and well disciplined Wootton team, with eight of nine starters returning from its 12-5 record and No. 4 seed in the Class 4A West Region last season, handed the Barons a loss in a game stopped after five innings under the mercy rule. Offensively, BCC made good contact with the ball, but Wootton's fielders were effective in keeping the Lady Barons out of scoring position. Defensively, the Lady Barons struggled with fielding errors throughout the early part of the game but tightened up in the end with a nice play by Alyssa Puritz (SS) to shut down the Wootton Patriots and keep them scoreless in the fourth (and final full) inning.

Senior pitcher Ryan Greene recorded 97 pitches, 5 strikeouts and only 2 walks in a solid opening-game performance. Greene also provided one of B-CC's three hits in the game, as the Barons faced some of the better pitchers they will likely see all year. The other two hits of the game for B-CC were recorded by sophomore Marilyn Hucek, who placed the ball in center field as she raced for first, and junior Emily Becker, who rocketed a line drive to left field. B-CC's only run came in the fourth inning from a play manufactured by Emily Becker. Emily took first base after being struck by a pitch and then used aggressive baserunning to score from second base after forcing a rare throwing error by the Wootton catcher.

Although the result was not what Coach Mack was looking for, the Barons showed improvement throughout the game, particularly in fielding, that he can build upon for the rest of the season.

- Reported by Mary Becker

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