The Skinny on Wednesday's Playoffs: Valley Girls, Boys Lax Clinch State Bids; Valley Softball, Baseball Win District Titles; and More

(May 27, 2010) - It was a night of celebration and heartache Wednesday in the playoffs as Loudoun Valley High School saw its boys and girls lacrosse teams clinch state tournament bids and advance to the regional finals and the Vikings baseball and softball teams went on the road to win Cedar Run District titles.

There were more titles just missed as both the Loudoun Valley girls and Heritage boys soccer teams fell in district title games in overtime with the Vikings girls going all the way to penalty kicks before losing. And for the first time in recent memory, if ever, there will be no local AA teams in the VHSL open state lacrosse tournament as both the Broad Run girls and Dominion boys lost at Western Albemarle Wednesday.

The Playoff Skinny for
Wed. May 26
Baseball
Cedar Run District Finals
Loudoun Valley 7, Osbourn 3
The Skinny: Cedar Run District Player of the Year Beattie Southerland went 3-for-3 with 2 doubles and a Home Run, and 2 runs scored. Matt Reed had a 2-run Home Run in the 6th to increase the Vikings lead from 5-3 to 7-3. Alexander Barr had a big night at the plate with a 2-for-5 performance. The Vikings used three pitches on the night to hold regular-season champion Osbourn to 3 runs. Scott VanSteelant and Carl Larsen held the score to three runs and then Reed struck out the final batter with bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th to seal the win.

Softball
Cedar Run District Finals
Loudoun Valley 5, Battlefield 4
The Skinny: Valley proved what perseverance and teamwork is all about as they pulled all aspects of their game together in the final two innings against their district rival to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win the district tournament.

The Viking offense owned the 6th inning, scoring all 5 runs to take the lead. Pitcher Allie Reid started the comeback with a single, followed by a walk by center fielder Katlyn Latka, and a bobbled ball hit to right field that put Dani Psimas on base.  With bases loaded and 2 strikes, shortstop Shelby Wassman pounded a double to the green scoring 3 runs.

Then pitcher/1st baseman Kelsey Richardson singled to left field scoring Wassman and catcher Karli Johnson got on base after a misplayed ground ball.  Later pinch runner Courtney Bogan scored on a passed ball.

The Bobcats rallied in the bottom of the 7th to score 1 more run, but the Viking defense prevailed, stranding runners at the corners to end the game. Richardson pitched the first 3 innings (6 strike outs, 1 walk and 5 hits) before being relieved by Pitcher Allie Reid who effectively closed the game with 4 strike outs and 3.

The Vikings advance to the Northwest Regional Tournament which begins on Memorial Day, May 31st against Halifax County in South Boston.

Boys Soccer

Cedar Run District Finals
Battlefield 1, Heritage 0 (OT)
The Skinny: This game was scoreless and just 50 seconds away from a second 10-minute overtime and "Golden Goal" when Battlefield scored the game-winner. The Pride will play at Patrick Henry-Roanoke on Monday at 6 p.m. in the regional quarterfinals.

Girls Soccer
Cedar Run District Finals
Battlefield 2, Loudoun Valley 2 (2OT) Battlefield wins on PKs, 6-5
The Skinny: You can't really come any closer to winning a title than the Vikes did in this heartbreaker as Ashley Manning put Valley ahead, 2-1, in the 4th minute of overtime only to have the Bobcats tie the game with less than a minute left. Then with less than 10 seconds left in overtime, Valley drew a penalty kick but Battlefield's keeper guessed right and swatted the shot away. After a scoreless second Golden Goal overtime, the teams went to penalty kicks and twice Valley was up by one kick on Battlefield but the Bobcats fought back to tie it, 3-3, after the regulation five kicks. The game then went into basically sudden death penalty kicks and both teams converting two kicks before Battlefield's keeper again came up with a save and the Bobcats then converted a kick for the victory.

Boys Lacrosse
Northern Region Tournament
Finals at South County
Robinson 11, Langley 10 (OT)
Consolation Finals at West Springfield
Woodson 8, Westfield 4

Region II Semifinals
Salem 14, E.C. Glass 4
Western Albemarle 12, Dominion 3

Northwest Region Semifinals
Loudoun Valley 16, Brooke Point 6
The Skinny: It wasn't supposed to be this easy for the Vikes as they hoasted unbeaten Brooke Point, ranked No. 2 in the region behind Valley with a 17-0 record, but Valley blitzed the visitors ... scoring 24 seconds into the contest and then reeling off nine straight first-quarter goals. By the time BP scored with 3:28 left in the first half, it was 11-0 Valley and the Vikes nursed that lead home after a pedestrian second half. Denis Radcliffe had a hat trick for the Vikes in less than five minutes to open the game and finished with four goals in the first quarter.
Osbourn Park 11, Patrick Henry-Roanoke 9

Girls Lacrosse
Northern Region Tournament
Finals at South County
Langley 13, Woodson 10
Consolation Finals at West Springfield, 5
Madison 16, Annandale 10

Region II Semifinals
Monticello def. Brentsville
Western Albemarle 17, Broad Run 6
The Skinny: Spartans, playing without senior Nina Dunay who had five goals in the quarterfinals, fell to a tough WA team. Scoring for BR:
Rachel Duff 1 assist
Kailey Phillips 2 assists
Mary Durham 1 goal
Taylor Forman 2 goals
Heidi Smith 3 goals

Francesca Beller 3 saves
Nicolle Bradford 5 saves

Northwest Region Semifinals
Loudoun Valley 19, Forest Park 2
The Skinny: Valley cruised into the state playoffs with an easy semifinal win. A dozen Vikes scored either a goal or picked up an assist in this win.
Battlefield 16, Osbourn Park 12

Boys Tennis
Northwest Region Doubles
Loudoun Valley boys team finishes second