Girls drop one-run games

By Devan Grayson
Review Sports Correspondent
Published: May 1, 2008

Thursday night in Orange, the Hornet’s softball team suffered one of their few losses of the season against the William Monroe Dragons, 4-3.  Trying hard to defeat Greene, the girls were unable to muster up enough hits to secure the win. 
Sophomore catcher Paige Pritchett started things off with a single in the first inning.  Freshman shortstop and pitcher Michala Sacra followed with a beautiful triple, but Pritchett was tagged out at the plate ending the inning.
Junior pitcher Heather Jenkins kept the Dragons at bay until the third inning when William Monroe’s Lauren Thompson hit a single.  A bunt by Monroe’s Jessica Morris moved Thompson into scoring position on third.  Both Morris and Thompson scored off of their teammate, Melanie Lamb’s double, bringing the score to 2-0.
The Dragons were at work again in the fifth, with Morris and Lamb making it home, bringing the score to 4-0. 
In the sixth inning, the Hornets began their own rally, attempting a comeback.  Pritchett got the inning started with a single and junior second baseman Megan Roberts followed with another single that brought Pritchett to third.  Next up was Sacra who brought Pritchett home with a nice double.  Keeping the hits going, Jenkins got a single that drove Roberts home.  After that, freshman first baseman Mandi Murphy hit a single bringing Sacra home, making the score 4-3.
In the end, the girls barely fell short of the win.  Coach Ryder explained, “We made mistakes and had trouble hitting.  You can’t win like that.” The loss dropped Orange’s record to 10-3, but they remain tied for first in the district with Fluvanna.

The Hornets played an exciting game Friday night in Orange, narrowly losing to the Monticello Mustangs in extra innings, 2-1. 
It wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth that the Hornets put a run on the board. 
Freshman pitcher Michala Sacra whacked the ball away for a double, and a sacrifice bunt by junior Megan Roberts advanced Sacra to third.  Sacra was able to steal home when freshman Mandi Murphy was up at the plate, making the score 1-0.
In the top of the fifth, the Mustangs tied the game, 1-1. By the end of the seventh, despite hard work by both teams, the score remained tied, forcing the game into extra innings. 
In the 11th, the Mustangs stole home making the score 2-1. 
A nice bunt by junior Cali Allen in the bottom of the 11th got things started for the Hornets, but the girls weren’t able to bring her home.  The loss dropped their record to 10-4.