Lady Raiders Advance To Regionals With Win
SOUTH RIDING, VA - Third-seeded Loudoun County broke open a scoreless game with two runs in the top of the
seventh inning to slip past second-seeded Park View 2-0 in the semifinals of the Dulles District Softball Tournament Thursday afternoon at Freedom High School.
With the victory, Loudoun County locked up a berth in next week's Region II Tournament. The Raiders will be the No. 6 seed and will visit No. 3 Orange Monday. The game time will be announced at a later date.
Thursday's semifinal contest actually began Wednesday night at Broad Run. The teams got through four outs
before heavy rains forced the game to be suspended with Park View having the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the first.
After lengthy discussions, it was decided that the game would be continued -- starting at the point of suspension -- Thursday at 4 p.m. at Freedom High School.
The nearly 17-hour delay didn't phase the Raiders and starting pitcher Lindsey Holtz, who needed just three pitches to get out of the first-inning jam thanks to a pop-up to second and a flyout to center.
Holtz and Patriot senior Laura Heironimus then battled through five more scoreless frames before Loudoun County finally broke through in the seventh.
Hope Flanagan laced a hanging change-up through the left side of the infield to start the inning, and Lindey Packard followed with a single to left. After a wild pitch, Megan Lindsey walked to load the bases. Taylor Grimmell then stepped to the plate and sent a grounder to the right side of the infield. The ball took the Patriot second baseman towards first, and with no chance to get the runner at the plate, she went with the sure out at first as the Raiders took a 1-0 lead.
After a strikeout, No. 9 hitter Kristen Gorman - who finished a perfect 3-for-3 for the game - reached on a slap single to short that scored Packard to give Loudoun County a 2-0 advantage.
Park View tried to answer in the bottom of the seventh, and Heironimus started the inning by reaching on an error by Raider shortstop Holly Norris. Holtz got the first out on a fly ball to center, and Norris made up for her miscue by starting a game-ending double play to seal the victory.
Holtz was masterful, holding Park View scoreless on just four hits. She struck out three and walked two (those walks came during Wednesday's rain-soaked first inning).
Heironimus scattered six hits - including four that never left the infield - and struck out seven.
