WOODSON: 9 

Cougars Claw Cavaliers To Win Tourney Game

In the second game of a Monday double header in the annual Hayfield Spring Tournament, the Oakton Cougars clawed the Woodson Cavaliers to achieve their first win of the season, 17-9.  The game was played in sunny, 54-degree weather.  The Cougars were home team based on a coin toss, and the game ended after five innings due to the tournament time limit.

Woodson jumped off to a quick start when their 4^th batter hit a 2-run homer over the left field fence, which momentarily deflated the Cougars’ confidence.  The Cavaliers’ lead was short-lived, however, as the Cougars responded with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Third baseman Cassie Brazinsky started things off by hitting a triple to the center-right-field gap, and then center fielder Nicole Berube drove her in with an RBI grounder.  Shortstop Caroline Brogan walked next and reached third base on a passed ball and a wild pitch before being driven in on a single hit by first baseman Jo Jo Felix.  Felix was then driven in by right fielder Kelly Dunlap, who hit a single to center-left field.

Woodson took back the lead by scoring three runs in the top of the second.  The Cavaliers’ lead was again short-lived, though, as the Cougars replied with three runs in the bottom of the second inning.  Left fielder Lindsey Smith led off the inning with a walk and eventually scored on a pair of Cavalier passed balls and a wild pitch.  Two more Cougars reached base on a fielder’s choice and a Cavalier error before Brogan drove them both in with a 2-RBI, fly-ball single to the outfield, which made the score 6-5 in the Cougars’ favor.

Woodson again took back the lead by scoring three runs in the top of the third inning.  And, the Cavaliers’ lead was again short-lived as the Cougars answered with two runs in the bottom of the third, which were attributable to Woodson errors and wild pitches.  The score was tied 8-8 after three innings.

Woodson yet again took back the lead by scoring a run in the top of the fourth inning.  And, the Cavaliers’ lead was yet again short-lived as the Cougars reacted with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Brogan led off and reached first base.  Two outs later, Catcher Rachel Lee started a rally with an infield single.  Next, left fielder Lindsey Smith joined her on the base pads after alertly gaining first base on a dropped third strike, while Brogan scored on the same play.  First baseman Katie Edwards came up next, and she scored Lee and Smith with a 2-RBI single to left field. 

The next batter, second baseman Georgia Brandt, walked to put two Cougars on the base pads, and then Brazinsky poked a double into the right field gap to continue the two-out rally and plate Edwards and Brandt.  Berube walked next, and she scored the Cougar’s seventh run when Brogan, batting for her second time in the inning, hit a line-drive single into center field.  The Cavaliers finally gained their third out two batters later, and the inning ended with the score 15-9 in Oakton’s favor.

The Cougars retired the Cavaliers one, two, three, in the top of the fifth inning.  In the bottom of the inning, the Cougars put up two insurance runs that were founded on a walk by Edwards, a single by Brandt, and 2-RBI single by Berube.  When the time limit expired, the final score was Cougars 17, Woodson 9.

Nicole Berube had a very busy day on defense as well as offense.  She caught six Woodson fly balls in center field.  Natalie Felix pitched the first three innings for Oakton, and her sister Jo Jo Felix pitched the last two innings, allowing only one earned run.