To paraphrase the late Yankee legend, Yogi Berra, the 2018 WCAC Softball
Championship game May 5 was like déjà vu all over again.
As in the 2017 championship game, it was held at the same
location (Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, Md.), featured the same two
teams (St. Mary’s Ryken High School of Leonardtown, Md., and Bishop O’Connell
High School of Arlington), the same two pitchers (St. Mary’s Ryken’s Cassie Aud
and O’Connell’s Kathryn Sandercock), the same weather (rain in the forecast)
and the same outcome as O’Connell defeated St. Mary’s Ryken 7-2. O’Connell had seven
runs on 11 hits and one error. St Mary’s Ryken had two runs on two hits and no
errors.
After facing six batters and allowing one run in the top of the
first, O’Connell’s Sandercock settled down and retired the side three out of
the next six innings striking out 11, giving up only two walks and only one
homerun to St. Mary’s Ryken’s third baseman Reagan Sutton in the fourth inning.
Sandercock only faced 26 batters in the game
St. Mary’s Ryken allowed five runs in the bottom of the first as
all nine O’Connell batters appeared at the plate. Aud also pitched three 1-2-3
innings with two strikeouts. She faced 29 batters, giving up seven runs on 11
hits (eight singles and three doubles).
Winning pitcher Sandercock, in a post-game interview, said of her
last game for O’Connell that it “was a great way to go out.” She said the win was
a team effort. Despite off-season hip surgery and a tough comeback, Sandercock
was named the WCAC Player of the Year and is excited to play at Florida State
University in Tallahassee next year. Her
battery-mate, Meadow Sacadura, said she will miss her, but the team will work
through it and get better.
O’Connell coach Tommy Orndorff said the three keys to the win were
the way his team responded in the bottom of the first with a lead-off double Caitlin
Jorae and all nine batters working to score five runs to take a 5-1 lead.
Sandercock’s 11 strikeouts had a huge impact, as did a defensive gem by Sophia
Rzonca at shortstop off of St. Mary Ryken’s best player to end the fifth inning
and potential rally.
See and buy more photos from the game at catholicherald.smugmug.com.