Finding different ways to win is something Dulaney High softball coach Lori Ryan knows her team has to do if it wants to get out of the Class 4A North Region andinto the state semifinals.
Dulaney did just that in Monday?s quarterfinal game as Perry Hall pitcher Justine DiGregorio walked in the winning run with the bases loaded, giving the Lions a 2-1 victory in eight innings.
Now, the games only get harder for Dulaney (16-3), the Baltimore County champion, who will host defending 4A state champion and Harford County power C. Milton Wright in today?s regional semifinal. C. Milton Wright advanced with a 10-0 victory Monday over Springbrook.
Ryan said a game like Monday?s could provide momentum for Dulaney, which last won a regional title in 2003 and last made the state finals in 2001. The Lions have never won a state title in softball.
“Monday?s game was the third time we played Perry Hall, and it can be very difficult to be a team three times in a row like we did,” Ryan said. “But we got some solid pitching, and our defense got us out of some jams. This game kicks us into next gear because there are no easy games the rest of the way.”
Dulaney boasts a balanced team that features a trio of batters hitting better than .440 at the plate. Senior infielder Michelle Barwick is batting .453 with six home runs and 26 RBI, while outfielder Katie Cole leads the Lions with a .492 batting average to go along with her three homers and 18 RBI. Junior outfielder Sarah Gangi is batting .448 with 22 RBI through Monday?s win.
Senior pitcher Katie Moelter provides Dulaney a stable presence on the mound. She is 13-2 with a 1.70 ERA and 90 strikeouts. Moelter allowed one run on six hits while striking out five Monday. The lone run she gave up came with two outs in the top of the seventh before she settled down and helped her team reach extra innings.
“I was pretty nervous, but I knew I could get the next out, especially with the awesome defense I have behind me,” Moelter said. “This game energized us for our next game because winning a state title is something we?ve been working toward since I got here.”
Moving along
» Dulaney softball came up big in last week?s Baltimore County title game, winning its first county crown in 12 years by defeating Catonsville, 9-4. In Howard County, Hammond continued its unprecedented run of success ? the Bears won their first county title in school history ? with a 5-0 victory over Glenelg. Another first occurred in Anne Arundel County as Broadneck won that league title with a 2-1 win over Chesapeake. For the Bruins, the win came in their first appearance in the game.
