Softball: Defending AA State Champion Woodgrove Claws Way Back into State Finals

By Jason S Rufner
Special to Viva Loudoun

Radford (June 8, 2013) - The three-year-old Woodgrove High School softball program made it a perfecdt 3-for-3 in getting to AA softball championship games with  the Wolverines 6-2 state semifinal win over Fort Defiance at Radford University on Saturday.

Woodgrove, which finished state runner-up in 2011 and won the state title last year, defends its crown at 1 p.m. Sunday at Radford as the Wolverines (26-2) take on Region IV champion Cave Spring (23-4).

"When you're chasing one, it's easy, but when you're defending one, I think that's one of the hardest things to do in sports," said Woodgrove's veteran coach Joe Spicer, who won state crowns with Loudoun Valley in 2003 and 2005.


"The kids can really feel pressure in that situation, but for our kids to get back there is a real compliment to their abilities and hard work. I'm real proud of them."

Facing a school whose last state tourney appearance came 22 years ago, Woodgrove surrendered the contest's first run when senior righty Jazmyn Rohrer gave up a lead-off homer to Fort Defiance's Carli Hill in the first.

That would be all the Indians would get for a while as Rohrer settled in, striking out six of the next seven batters and holding Fort Defiance scoreless until the fifth.

Meanwhile the Wolverine bats -- which produced 33 runs in their state quarterfinal Tuesday versus Tabb -- came alive in the fifth against right-hander Megan Good.

Three straight singles opened the frame, followed by a two-run double to deep left off Hallie Daughtry's bat and an immediate two-run single from Adriana Erickson.

"[Good] overwhelmed us a little bit early," said Spicer, calling the Fort Defiance junior among the state's best. "But we managed to put a couple hits together at the right time."

The sudden lead was more than enough for Rohrer, who went the distance in a seven-strikeout, five-hit effort.

Mackenzie Moler knocked three hits including a triple. Ashley Cole and Alayna Furr each delivered two hits.

Rachel Harris clubbed a two-out single in the third to drive in Woodgrove's first run. Delanie Daughtry provided insurance with an RBI single in the seventh.

Neither side committed an error in the state semifinal matchup.

Jason S Rufner does it all in Loudoun from his time at the Loudoun Times-Mirror and his work with the Gameday Broadcast Network and most recently his work with the Loudoun Hounds.

Replay Sports N Training is the sponsor of Viva Loudoun's
softball & baseball coverage!