Northeast softball gives Crofton its first loss of the season, 2-1
To Northeast softball’s delight, the twilight of Crofton’s undefeated status dragged out over six-plus innings of hot-and-cold defensive play, stranded base-runners and misplaced bats.
And then in a blur, it died out.
Cardinals senior Mac Reyes perched on first base, one out on the board and her team down a run. Junior Grace Ackermann squared to bunt Eagles’ pitcher Presley McGinty’s pitch flew.
Northeast catcher Taylor Castle fielded the bunt and threw to first for one out. But Reyes overran second and the Eagles caught her in a rundown. She was soon tagged out and the Eagles screamed in celebration.
“It was amazing,” McGinty said. “And it was good we got our win back, after how bad last year went.”
The Eagles beat Crofton twice last season before falling to the Cardinals in the county championship. They’d rather not remember the result of that game. And yet, it lingered in the minds of McGinty and plenty of her teammates as they fanned onto Crofton’s grass on Friday.
But that memory had recent company. On Thursday night, Northeast rallied from a two-run deficit in the seventh inning to beat Broadneck, 5-4. That was coming off a 12-1 loss to rival Chesapeake last week — The Eagles’ “turning point.”
“That is where our girls finally started playing how we should and will,” acting head coach Maria Alexander said. “They’re rolling with their momentum and they’re happy. They’re all over the place — and they’re crushing the ball.”
Crofton ace Lynsie Herman allowed few Eagles to touch her base paths, dealing 10 strikeouts against just two walks. But Northeast had drilled situational hitting to handle a pitcher of her caliber, not to mention her voracious defense, which had only given up one run in April so far.
Eagles batters targeted hits directly at fielders’ feet, or beyond the border of their gloves. In the top of the first, Madison Burris chopped a hard ground ball through to center field, plating Brynn Jones.
After struggling against Herman for a few innings, or falling victim to a set of gymnastic catches by center fielder Amaya Mullings, Northeast got to Crofton again.
Mackenzie Weiland’s bunt tangled the Cardinals’ infield, but Herman scooped the ball up and shot towards Marley Connor at third base. But unlike the deadly accurate strikes Herman piled up, the throw sailed over Connors’ outstretched glove and Northeast junior Kayleigh Fyffe started grinning.
She thundered from third to home, hooting and clapping halfway there for the insured 2-0 lead they’d need.
“We’re quick enough and good enough that we can still stay with it and make the play,” Crofton coach Sarah Bible said, “but it depends on where your focus is. It happens.”
Opportunity had knocked for Crofton so many times it considered leaving a “sorry we missed you” note. In the bottom of the fourth, singles from India Stokes and Alanna Yancey set the table for Connor, who after five foul balls finally brought one run home, but the rally ended with a ground ball back to McGinty.
The Cardinals then loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning with an out, but two swift Northeast plays struck the effort down.
“We weren’t aggressive enough and we weren’t being patient,” Bible said. “If we hit our pitch, we’re pretty successful.”
Otherwise, McGinty handled the Cardinals. She thanked her rise ball, cozy in the strike zone, or painting the outside corners, but also her lucky glitter pink Crocs.
“Presley’s a fighter,” Alexander said, “and as the competition gets better, she gets better.”
Northeast — 100 100 0 — 2 5 0
Crofton — 000 100 0 — 1 6 2
WP: McGinty LP: Herman
2B: NE — Jones