Cougars Stung Again by the Herndon Hornets, 11-2

The Cougars lost their last home game of the season to the Herndon Hornets by a score of 11-2.  The Hornets kept both the offensive and the defensive pressure on for the entire game, while the Cougars never really got their offense into gear and had a few lapses on defense.

The Hornets flew out to an early lead by scoring five runs in the first two innings on three hits, several walks and a couple of Cougar errors.  The Cougars had a good chance to put a run up in the bottom of the second after left fielder Jenna Sharer singled to left field and third baseman Sami Basset did the same.  But, both were left stranded on base by the tough Hornet defense when the inning ended.

The Cougars offense and defense both picked up in the third inning.  After holding the Hornets scoreless in the top of the inning, Oakton got on the board with two runs when center fielder Marleigh Hall ripped a line drive down the left field line that drove in shortstop Becky Cerva and pitcher Alana Peters, who had both walked earlier.

The Hornets soon buzzed back with four runs in the top of the fourth inning off of two singles and four walks.  The damage might have been worse that inning, but Cerva and Bassett stopped the Hornets by pulling off a nice double play.  With runners on second and third bases and one out, shortstop Cerva snagged a hard line drive out of the air, turned toward second base to get that runner, and seeing that she had no play at second, spun and gunned the ball to Basset at third to put out that Hornet runner before she could get back to the third-base bag.

In the top of the sixth inning, Peters made a similar, but solo, double play while playing first base.  She gloved a Herndon liner and then put out the Hornet runner who had left first base.  Perhaps inspired by Peters's good D, the Cougars narrowly missed scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning when Hall ripped another single down the left field line, then advanced to second base on a ground out.  When relief pitcher Cheyenne Van Pelt then hit a single to left field, the speedy Hall was waved home as she rounded third base.  She arrived sliding at the plate at the same time as the throw from the Hornet outfielder and was called out on a very close play.

The Cougars threatened one last time in the bottom of the seventh inning when catcher Kelly Dunlap hit a line drive single to left-center field and then courtesy runner Jordan Loria advanced to second and third bases on two grounders.  But at the end, Loria was left stranded.

Props again go to the Hornet defense, which played without error and produced 19 outs on Cougar grounders and fly balls.