Softball: Woodgrove Earns First Ever Regional Title in Any Sport

Historic Win: Woodgrove's 1st Ever Regional Title!

Photo courtesy of Carl Lukat/Loudoun Times-Mirror

By Carl Lukat
Loudoun Times-Mirror Sports Editor
Special to VivaLoudoun

Ashburn (June 5, 2011) - Freshman Rachel Harris provided the winning margin with her three-run triple in the fifth inning as Woodgrove High School defeated host Briar Woods, 5-2, in the Region II softball title game Friday to earn the school's first-ever region championship in any sport.

"I love this team," Harris said after the Wolverines received their championship hardware. "They are all great girls, they have so much heart. There is just such great spirit. We are all together."


Already leading 2-0 after scoring solo runs in the third and fourth innings, Woodgrove loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. Sophomore Ashley Cole's bloop single was sandwiched between juniors Courtney Bogan and Christy Haney reaching on errors.

Briar Woods pitcher Macy Jones - fresh off her no-hitter against Orange in the region semifinals a day earlier - induced the next batter to hit into a fielder's choice, with the lead runner being thrown out at home.

The Wolverines now needed a two-out hit to pad their lead. And Harris stepped to the plate and delivered - driving a Jones' offering into the right-center field gap for a bases-clearing triple.

"I knew our team was really excited and wanted to score there and I was just trying to help," Harris said. "Macy is a smart pitcher, she's a really good pitcher and I knew I had to be smart ... [The pitch] was low and outside and I just went with it."

The Falcons scored a run in each the fifth and seventh innings, but stranded six runners over the last three innings. Overall, Briar Woods left 13 runners on base in the 5-2 loss.

Woodgrove (23-4) evened the season series with Briar Woods at 2-2, snapping the Falcons' 15-game winning streak in the process. Briar Woods (22-4) defeated the Wolverines, 4-1, eight days prior in the Dulles District championship game.

"To beat a quality team is something we are really looking to do in our first year," Woodgrove coach Joe Spicer said. "That's a really big plus for us right now. We are very happy."

Spicer was impressed with junior Allie Reid's pitching performance in Friday's win. Reid worked out of bases-loaded jams in the first and sixth innings.

"She's always been able to throw the ball real well and now she's trying to be a little bit smarter about what she throws and when she throws it," Spicer said. "I think she's made real progress this season. This a real quality win for her. She came out and pitched strong throughout the game."

Both teams advance to the Group AA state softball tournament as region finalist. Woodgrove will host York and Briar Woods will travel to Powhatan for quarterfinal games June 7. Powhatan defeated York, 1-0, in 11 innings to win the Region I championship.

"I like avoiding that three-hour bus trip, so that's a bonus. And we have a little bit more of a routine at home," Spicer said of starting the state playoffs at home. "For a young team, it's nice to have a little bit more of a comfort zone. Hopefully, that will play into our hand."

Read more of Carl "Slap Hitter" Lukat's great Loudoun sports coverage at www.loudountimes.com and tell them the Fox sent ya!