Softball: Woodgrove Blanks Briar Woods to Sweep Dulles Titles

View the full gallery by Jeff Vennitti with 114 shots.

By Alanna "Warrior Dash" Dvorak
Special to Viva Loudoun

Purcellville (May 29, 2012) - The Woodgrove High School softball team complemented its regular-season Dulles District title with the Dulles District tournament championship, defeating the defending Group AA state champion Briar Woods 1-0 May 25 at home.

The game marked the eighth time the two teams have squared off since Woodgrove opened in the fall of 2010, including last years’ regional and state title games. The Wolverines’ most recent victory now evens up the series, with each team taking four games. Woodgrove has won two of the three games this season, with Briar Woods edging the Wolverines 1-0 in March.

If the two teams are to face again this season, they must advance past tonight's Region II quarterfinals with Woodgrove hosting Dulles foe Loudoun County and Briar Woods on the road at Skyline.

View the full gallery by Jeff Vennitti with 114 shots. 

“We don’t want to win all of them,” Woodgrove coach Joe Spicer said. “Just the important ones.

This game once again pitted Briar Woods Macy Jones, the two-time Dulles District Player of the Year, and all-district pitcher Allie Reid, against each other. The two combined for 14 strikeouts this game, with Jones whiffing six batters and Reid getting eight.

The Falcons initially seemed poised to score early in the game. A walk and hit put runners on second and third, but Reid was able to pitch the Wolverines out of the pickle.

Both teams played a tight game defensively, but Woodgrove managed to get on the board in the bottom of the third.

Ashley Cole started off the inning, hitting a slow dribbler to third but utilizing her speed to reach third safely. Christy Haney then struck out, but a dropped pitch on the third strike enabled Cole to move to second. During Reid’s at-bat, Cole stole third and then reached home when Reid blasted a sacrifice hit to right field.

“I knew I had to get a fly ball to the outfield, so I just poked it out there,” Reid said. “It helps me to get a few insurance runs.”

The run would prove to be the last of the game, though the Falcons had runners in scoring positions in both the sixth and seventh inning.

With one out in the seventh inning, junior Lynn Brantley, one of only three upperclassmen on the Falcons’ roster, slammed a double to the centerfield fence. After a strike out, Brantley attempted to steal third but was called out, ending the game 1-0.

View the full gallery by Jeff Vennitti with 114 shots.

“Whenever we play Woodgrove, it’s a very emotional game,” Briar Woods coach Jennifer Traina said. “That last play was just an issue of girls trying to literally lay it on the line to get one extra base to maybe be that much closer to a run,”

Though the teams still have regional quarters and semis to play, both coaches wouldn’t be surprised to see the rivalry get a few more games this season.

“I expect to see them two more times,” said Spicer with a laugh.

History of the series:
March 22, 2011: Woodgrove 4, Briar Woods 3
May 2, 2011: Briar Woods 5, Woodgrove 1
May 26, 2011 (Dulles District tournament championship): Briar Woods 4, Woodgrove 1
June 3, 2011 (Region II championship): Woodgrove 5, Briar Woods 2
June 11, 2011 (VHSL AA state championship): Briar Woods 9, Woodgrove 1
March 16, 2012: Briar Woods 1, Woodgrove 0
April 19, 2012: Woodgrove 9, Briar Woods 0
May 25, 2012 (Dulles District tournament championship): Woodgrove 1, Briar Woods 0