SPARTANS: 3

Spartans Edge Out the Cougars

In the final game of the annual Hayfield Spring Tournament, the Oakton Cougars lost a close game to the West Springfield Spartans.  The Cougars have been improving steadily, and in this game they showed that they are capable of playing outstanding defense.

Leading off for the Cougars to start the game, shortstop Sami Bassett walked and then stole second base and third base.  She scored on a wild pitch to give the Cougars a 1 – 0 lead before the side was retired.  The Spartans fought back in the bottom of the first inning, tying the game on an RBI sacrifice fly to left field.

The Cougars sent only three batters to the plate in the second inning.  Second baseman Georgia Brandt provided some excitement when she stole second base and then got caught in a pickle between second and third after the Spartan catcher’s throw went into center field.  Brandt went back and forth three times between second and third before West Springfield was finally able to catch her.  The Spartans landed two more scoring blows in the bottom of the second inning on a walk and two doubles, making the score 1 – 3 after two innings.

Neither team scored for the rest of the game.  Oakton’s best chance came in the top of the fifth inning when right fielder Linda Lyons drove a line-drive single up the middle and Bassett moved her to second with a beautiful sneak-bunt single down the third base line.  Lyons and Bassett later advanced to second and third on a Spartan wild pitch, but they were left stranded when Oakton’s at bat ended.

The Cougars made several excellent defensive plays while holding the Spartans scoreless for innings 3 – 6.  In the third inning, Brandt ran down a blooper fly ball that was dropping into shallow center field and made a running over-the-shoulder catch.  In the fifth inning, Brandt and Bassett converged on a pop up near the middle of the infield and made a catch where first one and then the other juggled the ball before Bassett finally secured it for the out.  Later in the fifth inning, left fielder Danni Nicholls charged a sinking line drive and made a running, shin-high catch for the third out.

Taylor Fay went the distance in the circle and pitched her best game this year for the Cougars.  She struck out six, walked one, and allowed five hits.

The Cougars play next on Friday, April 10, away at the Westfield Bulldogs.  This will be their first conference game of the season.