Coming out strong after a huge 10-0 home win over the Einstein Titans on Apr. 22, the Patriots improved their record to 7-2 and were able to grasp a three-game winning streak. But the girls didn’t stop there as they played five more games in the span of two weeks, which resulted in three wins and two losses.
With no time to rest, Patriots’ softball got right back into their groove the next day where they hosted Walter Johnson on Apr. 27. The girls displayed their dominance in the early innings where they took a lead over the Wildcats right from the start.
The team continued to extend on this lead, ultimately leading to a steady 11-1 victory. This win marked their fourth consecutive on the season, which kept the girls fired up heading into the next game. “We are on a hot streak right now,” senior captain Georgia Bartels-Newton said. “I’m confident we can keep this momentum going into the next few games.”
On Apr. 29, the Patriots were back on the road where they traveled to Bethesda-Chevy Chase to capture their fifth win in a row. The game was different from their previous one-sided victories as B-CC put up a challenge.
The game went back and forth in the first half of the innings, where the Patriots gave up three runs to the Barons. The Patriots then struck back, rallying up a total of seven runs to end up taking the dub with a final score of 7-3.
With a hot streak of five games and an overall record of 9-4, the girls were back to their home field on May 1, where they faced a tough Blair team with a current overall record of 11-3.
The game started of neck and neck, with phenomenal defense in the outfield from both sides. After a couple innings went by, the Blazers began to drift away from the Patriots until they rallied up four runs late in the game.
The girls were not able to respond, with the score ultimately ending in Blair’s favor, 4-0. The Patriots’ lengthy winning streak came to an end, which is something the team was not happy about. “That was our first loss in many games, which is not a good feeling, but we’re ready to get back on track for the rest of the upcoming games,” junior pitcher Meredith White said.
The girls then had two more gamesto follow in quick succession, one being a rescheduled game against Clarksburg on May 2, and the other against Poolesville the next day on May 3.
For the first game the girls traveled to Clarksburg to take on the Coyotes in a game that was meant to be played on Apr. 25, but was canceled due to inclement weather. The game was similar to the B-CC game, with both teams racking up runs. The Patriots stopped at five runs while the Coyotes continued until they reached nine runs, ultimately resulting in a 9-5 defeat for the team.
This brought their record to a solid 9-4 as they headed into their most recent game against Poolesville. The Patriots, determined to get back to their winning ways, went into the game hungry. The Patriots were able to maintain a slim lead over the Falcons thanks to a great performance from their offense. The Patriots’ outfield was able to hold the Falcons at seven runs, while their offense put the game away adding a few more to reach a total of 10 runs. The final score of the game was 10-7.
The team now holds a divisional record of 4-3, placing them in fourth among their 4A West division. The girls will look to keep improving in their next game on May 6 against the Whitman Vikings, too late to be covered in this issue.
Alex Bellot
Sports Editor
