'Jacks swept by Catonsville in state showdown

BALTIMORE – Chesapeake College and CCBC-Catonsville matched perfect league records from the first week to the final week of the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference women's softball season.  The defending champion Cardinals finally established some separation Monday afternoon, sweeping visiting Chesapeake, 3-0 and 12-8.

Catonsville (29-9 overall, 16-0 league) still has four league contests left this week, but the Cardinals all but wrapped up the state title with the sweep of Chesapeake (29-3, 18-2).  Cardinals ace Sammi O'Connor won both ends of the doubleheader, throwing a two-hit shutout in the opener and pitching three relief innings in the nightcap as Catonsville completed the sweep despite being outhit, 15-8.

Neither O'Connor nor Chesapeake starter Kellieann Tyner (13-1) gave up an earned run in the opener, but the Skipjacks allowed three unearned runs in the third.  Tyner walked one batter and hit another, the Skipjack defense committed two errors and Cardinal Eleni Wright had a two-out, two-run single to cap the inning.

Michelle Lawrenson broke up O'Connor's bid for a third no-hitter this season with a two-out single in the fifth.  Samantha Greenwell doubled with one out in the seventh for the only other hit off O'Connnor, who struck out 10.

"Kellieann pitched a really nice game, a five-hitter, but we made some critical mistakes in the third and O'Connor was great," said Chesapeake head coach Durrie Hayes.

Catonsville seemingly took command of Game 2 with a seven-run third that featured a Hunter Long grand slam off reliever Cheyenne Riley to build an 8-3 lead.  Chesapeake used a four-run fourth and a single run in the sixth to create an 8-8 tie, but the Cardinals exploded for four runs in the home sixth, capped by Deanna Matlock's three-run homer.

Hannah Stringer went 3-for-4 while Lawrenson (two RBI), Schreiber (double), Stephanie Weyermiller (RBI), Riley (RBI) and Taryn Zietlow (RBI) each had two hits for the Skipjacks in Game 2.

"We outhit them in the second game, but we left runners on base and they didn't," said Hayes.

"It just went in their favor today, but we'll see them again," added Hayes, referring to a likely rematch in next month's regional tournament at Chesapeake.  "We'll show up – we'll be there."

Notes: The Skipjacks play a 3 p.m. Wednesday non-conference doubleheader at Burlington County College, which split a doubleheader with Catonsville on Sunday.  Chesapeake concludes its regular season Saturday with a noon doubleheader at the U.S. Naval Academy.