ROBINSON SS: 5

Cougars Lose to the Robinson Rams in Conference Playoff Game, 1-5

In the final high school game for five Oakton seniors, the defending 2013 District Champion Oakton Cougars were knocked out of the Conference 5 playoff tournament by the Robinson Rams by a score of 1-5.  The team wishes their seniors, Jenna Sharer, Allison Davis,  Alana Peters, Marleigh Hall, and Becky Cerva (front row below), the best of luck in college next year.  They will be missed.

The Rams played errorless ball on defense in the playoff game, and that made the difference that earned them the win.

The Cougars threatened in their first at-bat when shortstop Becky Cerva walked, was sacrifice bunted to second base by third baseman Sami Bassett, and was moved to third base on a grounder by pitcher Alana Peters.  Cerva was, however, left stranded at third when the Oakton at-bat ended.

The Cougars mostly kept the Rams off the bases in the second inning, and the Rams mostly kept the Cougars off the bases in the second and top of the third innings.  Then, Robinson broke the game open in the bottom of the third inning, scoring five runs on two doubles, a walk, and three Cougar errors.

Oakton answered back with one run in their next at-bat.  With two outs, center fielder Marleigh Hall smacked a double to the right-center field gap.  Left fielder Lydia Petraglia followed with an RBI single to right field, which allowed the quick-footed Hall to score from second base for the Cougars’ only run.

The Cougar defense held the Rams scoreless during the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.  There were several good plays during this stretch, including a double play on a sacrifice bunt in the fourth inning where Peters fielded the bunt and threw to second baseman Danni Nicholls, who was covering first base, to get the batter out, and Nicholls threw across the diamond to Bassett at third base, who put the tag down on the Ram runner who had tried to advance two bases on the bunt.  In the fifth inning, Peters pitched her way out of a jam after the Rams loaded the bases with one out and she fanned the next two batters, leaving all the Rams stranded.

The Cougars made a final try to score in the last inning when Hall was hit by a pitch, and first baseman Cheyenne Van Pelt moved her to second base with a blooper single to left field, putting Cougars on first and second bases with one out.  The Robinson outfielders made two great catches to end this Oakton threat, including an outstanding, grass-stained, diving grab by the Ram right fielder.

Peters pitched the complete game for the Cougars, striking out seven, walking three, allowing six hits and only one earned run.

And, finally, four Cougar players were selected for All Conference honors in VHSL Conference 5:

Allison Davis: first team, All Conference, outfield;

Alana Peters: first team, All Conference, first base;

Caroline Brogan: first team, All Conference, at large; and

Marleigh Hall: second team, All Conference, outfield.

Congratulations!