Softball: Jones' Dramatic Walk-Off Single Lifts Briar Woods Over Loudoun County, 1-0, in Extra Innings

Special to Viva Loudoun
Ashburn (May 23, 2012) - Briar Woods High School senior Macy Jones singled home junior Emilie Ball from third base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lift second-seeded Briar Woods to a thrilling 1-0 win over third-seeded Loudoun County in the semifinals of the Dulles District Tournament Tuesday night.

Briar Woods, which improved to 20-2 with its 11th straight win, will take on top-seeded Woodgrove, a 10-0 winner over Potomac Falls Tuesday, in the Dulles District Tournament championship game Thursday at Woodgrove at 7 p.m.


The Falcons, who will be making their fourth straight appearance in the tournament title contest, defeated Woodgrove 4-1 in last year's championship game. Briar Woods' win over Loudoun County also locked the Falcons into the district's No. 2 seed in the upcoming Region II Tournament regardless of the outcome of the Dulles District championship game.

The Falcons will travel to Skyline in the Region II quarterfinals Tuesday, May 29. The game time has not been announced.

In Tuesday's district semifinal contest, the Falcons were stymied most of the night by Raider junior Kiley Jacobus before finally breaking through in the ninth. With one out, Briar Woods freshman Madison Goodman drew a key pinch-hit walk, and Ball, who re-entered at first for Goodman, advanced to second on a sacrifice by sophomore Carrie Keevey.

Sophomore Caroline Fowler then reached on an infield single, sending Ball to third, and Jones followed with a single to score Ball with the game's lone run.

Loudoun County has its best chance to score in the fifth. Senior Renay Aubel hit a two-out double and was replaced by pinch-runner Lauren Thompson. Brittney Platt then dumped a single down the right field line, but Falcon junior Lynn Brantley fired home to get the final out of the inning and keep the game scoreless.

The Falcons appeared poised to win the game in the eighth when Jones walked, Brendes reached on an infield single and both runners moved up on a sacrifice by sophomore Casey Forbes. However, Jacobus used a pair of fly outs to end the threat. Jones scattered six hits and struck out 15 in firing her eighth shutout of the season. Jacobus held Briar Woods to four hits and struck out 10.