It took a little more time and effort than they would have liked, but the seniors on the Northeast softball team celebrated Senior Day in style.
They came away with a 5-4 walk-off win Wednesday over Broadneck in eight innings at Lynn Pitonzo Field in Pasadena.
Trailing 4-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth, Northeast (15-2) scored on a groundball to short, after the extra-inning rules placed a runner on second base to begin the frame.
Senior Lauren Hart followed with a walk, and eventually scored the game-winner on sophomore Autumn Herrin?s towering shot to center field which fell for a long single.
“It was exciting,” Hart said. “Those are the kind of games you play for, the nail-biters down to the end.”
She admitted it?s going to be tough to see the season end, as she and fellow seniors Lela Wedell and Carolyn Jenkins have played together since before they were freshmen.
“All three of them have started four years,” head coach Marianne Shultz said.
“They have been key in all four years. The dedication and time and effort they have put in has been phenomenal.”
On Wednesday, the Eagles? seniors batted fifth, sixth, and seventh in the order, and helped spark the go-ahead rally in the eighth.
“People pick each other up, and that?s what a team is about,” Shultz said. “When somebody is not producing, like the top of the order didn?t happen to produce today, somebody is picking them up.”
Part of the Eagles? offensive struggles can be attributed to the Broadneck (8-10) starting pitcher.
Head coach Jim Ware countered with a senior of his own: Nicole Connor, a veteran that struck out 10 batters in eight innings.
“Unfortunately she?s not getting the run-support we?d like to get her,” Ware said. “All in all, I think she?s almost had an All-Star season this year. She?s pitched against all the hard teams, and she?s kept us in them all the entire time.”
Northeast freshman pitcher Heather Brown struck out five, and earned the win to push her record to 9-1.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
» Jenkins, who is bound for Maryland, was batting .489 with a home run and 16 runs batted in prior to Wednesday. She may try to make the Terps as a walk-on in the spring. She plans to attend a semester at Anne Arundel Community College before heading to College Park.
» Junior center fielder Jill Mullan, who was injured on the basepaths in the first inning Wednesday but stayed in the game, leads the Eagles with five home runs.
» The top four batters in the Eagles? order combined to go 1-for-13 with eight strikeouts Wednesday. Freshman catcher and clean-up hitter Lizzy Wedell?s triple was the lone extra-base hit in the game.
» Northeast visits Old Mill Friday, while Broadneck travels to play Southern. Both games start at 4 p.m.
