Contact: Jenni Brockman
Telephone: 804-443-3357 (w); 804-443-2703 (h)
Fax: 804-443-6781
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Top Dog JV Scotties Down Collegiate 10 - 8 in Softball Season Opener
St. Margaret's 1999 junior varsity softball team's opening chant, "Run with the big dogs, whoof, whoof, whoof!," apparently, worked. The team, St. Margaret's first ever junior varsity softball squad, playing in its first game of the season, hit like big dogs in a marathon two-hour/ seven-inning contest versus Richmond's Collegiate School last Friday, April 9, at Essex County Little League field in Tappahannock.
SMS sophomore right-hander Allie Chester delivers a pitch in the fourth inning of last Friday's junior varsity softball game versus Richmond's Collegiate School..
SMS sophomore right-hander Allie Chester, of Springfield, pitched a nearly flawless top half of the first inning facing Collegiate's top five hitters. Chester was backed by strong defense from freshman third baseman Kat Price, of Richmond, and Tappahannock-native Olivia Longest behind the plate, at catcher. Longest tagged a Collegiate runner at home to end Collegiate's first inning charge; followed with a lead-off single in the bottom half of the inning. Ninth-grader Taylor Ellis, of Dunnsville, much to the delight of her big brother cheering her on in the bleechers, doubled in Longest to put SMS up 1 - 0.
In the top of the second, Ellis, playing short stop, caught a pop fly for an out and threw back to first baseman Mary Burke Parker, of Tappahannock, to double out Collegiate to end the inning.
After holding the Scotties, Collegiate rallied to score a run in the third, to pull even at 1- 1. The Scotties followed with a six run hit brigade that resulted in a commanding 7 - 1 third inning lead. Ninth-grader Tiffany Marie (DeSousa), of Roselle Park, NJ, doubled; Longest, Chester, and Ellis, scored to give SMS a 4 - 1 advantage. Eighth-grade center fielder Eva Martinez singled in DeSousa and later stole home off an errant pitch to increase SMS' lead to 5. Second baseman Nikki Clark, of Lively, VA scored the final run of the inning to put SMS ahead 7 - 1.
Collegiate rallied with a four-run fourth but remained behind, 4 - 7. Ellis led off the bottom half of the fourth with a walk, stole second base, and scored to increase the margin to 8 - 4. Clark singled, stole second base, and scored off an infield hit by Martinez. Ground ball singles by DeSousa and ninth-grader Brandy Benito, of Stafford, as well as consecutive walks by Chester and Lauren Apel, of Williamsburg, gave the Scotties their largest lead of the game, at 10 - 4 in the fourth.
COMING HOME. St. Margaret's runner Nikki Clark scores in the fourth inning to put SMS up 9 - 4.
Chester, in retiring Collegiate in order in the fifth, looked for some offensive bat power from her teammates but the Scotties were unable to drive in Martinez who hit a two-out single.
Collegiate rallied to score three runs prior to a bizarre number-of-outs discrepancy where both teams mistakenly left the field after two, not three, outs had been recorded. The umpire caught the error and asked SMS to retake the field. Collegiate hit a quick, infield ground ball for the third and final out of the sixth, down 8 - 10.
Chester followed a shaky sixth with a strong seventh, to retire Collegiate's batters in order and seal the Scotties first-ever junior varsity softball team win.
"It turned out pretty well. I didn't have my best stuff but I hung in there," said Chester. "It's something to build on."
St. Margaret's 1999 junior varsity softball team's opening chant, "Run with the big dogs, whoof, whoof, whoof!," apparently, worked. The team, St. Margaret's first ever junior varsity softball squad, playing in its first game of the season, hit like big dogs in a marathon two-hour/ seven-inning contest versus Richmond's Collegiate School last Friday, April 9, at Essex County Little League field in Tappahannock.
SMS sophomore right-hander Allie Chester, of Springfield, pitched a nearly flawless top half of the first inning facing Collegiate's top five hitters. Chester was backed by strong defense from freshman third baseman Kat Price, of Richmond, and Tappahannock-native Olivia Longest behind the plate, at catcher. Longest tagged a Collegiate runner at home to end Collegiate's first inning charge; followed with a lead-off single in the bottom half of the inning. Ninth-grader Taylor Ellis, of Dunnsville, much to the delight of her big brother cheering her on in the bleechers, doubled in Longest to put SMS up 1 - 0.
In the top of the second, Ellis, playing short stop, caught a pop fly for an out and threw back to first baseman Mary Burke Parker, of Tappahannock, to double out Collegiate to end the inning.
After holding the Scotties, Collegiate rallied to score a run in the third, to pull even at 1- 1. The Scotties followed with a six run hit brigade that resulted in a commanding 7 - 1 third inning lead. Ninth-grader Tiffany Marie (DeSousa), of Roselle Park, NJ, doubled; Longest, Chester, and Ellis, scored to give SMS a 4 - 1 advantage. Eighth-grade center fielder Eva Martinez singled in DeSousa and later stole home off an errant pitch to increase SMS' lead to 5. Second baseman Nikki Clark, of Lively, VA scored the final run of the inning to put SMS ahead 7 - 1.
Collegiate rallied with a four-run fourth but remained behind, 4 - 7. Ellis led off the bottom half of the fourth with a walk, stole second base, and scored to increase the margin to 8 - 4. Clark singled, stole second base, and scored off an infield hit by Martinez. Ground ball singles by DeSousa and ninth-grader Brandy Benito, of Stafford, as well as consecutive walks by Chester and Lauren Apel, of Williamsburg, gave the Scotties their largest lead of the game, at 10 - 4 in the fourth.
Chester, in retiring Collegiate in order in the fifth, looked for some offensive bat power from her teammates but the Scotties were unable to drive in Martinez who hit a two-out single.
Collegiate rallied to score three runs prior to a bizarre number-of-outs discrepancy where both teams mistakenly left the field after two, not three, outs had been recorded. The umpire caught the error and asked SMS to retake the field. Collegiate hit a quick, infield ground ball for the third and final out of the sixth, down 8 - 10.
Chester followed a shaky sixth with a strong seventh, to retire Collegiate's batters in order and seal the Scotties first-ever junior varsity softball team win.
"It turned out pretty well. I didn't have my best stuff but I hung in there," said Chester. "It's something to build on."
Husband/wife coaching tandem Bill and Michele Ellis, parents of short stop Taylor, hope this spunky little team can keep the momentum going following its strong start.
