Contact: Jenni Brockman
Telephone: 804-443-3357
Fax: 413-639-3999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JV Scotties Rally to Nip St. Catherine's, Get First Win
Nine young St. Margaret's School softball players surprised the opposing team, their coach, Mrs. Mickey Ellis, and their fans with a striking comeback win over St. Catherine's School on Tuesday, May 2 at the Essex County Little League ballpark in Tappahannock.
St. Margaret's 2000 Junior Varsity Softball Team members: (front, l. to r.) Claire Hopkins, Graham Barlow, Brandy Benito, and Maryama Tagoe; (back row, l. to r.) Robin Ridderhof, Ashley Whitehead, Cristin Cintron, Mr. Ellis, Ayano Kitamura, Mrs. Mickey Ellis, and Caroline Chewning.
With only two games remaining on their schedule, the SMS junior varsity softball team (0-6 overall) knew it was show time. The Scotties trailed the Saints by 2 runs (11-13) heading to their final at-bat. However, playing with veteran poise and exuding confidence beyond their experience level, SMS scored twice to tie the game at 13 and, subsequently, went on to win by a 14 -13 score. Swinging on the first pitch, first baseman Ashley Whitehead tagged a leadoff double to begin the Scotties comeback. She stole second base and advanced to third on a single by left fielder Maryama Tagoe. Graham Barlow then grounded out to score Ashley from third. Caroline Chewning lined a single to score Maryama and tie the game. Second baseman Cristin Cintron stepped up to the plate and delivered the game winning hit, scoring Caroline Chewning.
"It really was a great game. We finally put all of the new skills we learned in practice together and we are coming together as a team," said Maryama Tagoe. "Winning our first game was so exciting!" The win, the Scotties' first in 7 games, felt like a world championship to the young team - and their fans. St. Margaret's cheering section, which had dwindled to 3 by the end of the long game, was comprised of pitcher Robin Ridderhoff's dad, Phillip; catcher Claire Hopkins's mother, Mary Anne; and SMS Spanish teacher Luisa Miguez-Perez. But the Scotties didn't notice the sparse crowd, as each player was ecstatic over the Scotties' remarkable come-from-behind win.
St. Margaret's freshman catcher Claire Hopkins #4 eyes a pitch during the 6th inning of Tuesday's softball game versus St. Catherine's School in Tappahannock. The Scotties defeated the Saints 14-13, winning in the bottom half of the 7th inning on a hit by second baseman Cristin Cintron.
"They put on quite a show today," said Mrs. Hopkins of Westmoreland County, an alumna and member of St. Margaret's Board of Governors. Her daughter, Claire, a freshman, had 2 hits, a walk, and scored 3 runs. At 13, the youngest player on this year's team, Mr. Ridderhoff's daughter, Robin, scored 2 runs on 4 hits and also pitched a complete game.
Members of the 2000 JV Scotties are: Graham Barlow, center field, Brandy Benito, right field, Caroline Chewning, short stop, Cristin Cintron, second base, Claire
Hopkins, catcher, Ayano Kitamura, third base, Lorna "Robin" Ridderhof, pitcher, Maryama Tagoe, left field, and Ashley Whitehead, first base. Graham Barlow summed up the afternoon rather poignantly with the following e-mail, "The game was rockin'!"
It certainly was.
