Chesapeake seeded second in softball
WYE MILLS – Chesapeake College, fresh off a school-record 31 regular-season victories, is seeded second in this weekend's NJCAA Division II Region XX championship tournament at Chesapeake.
The Skipjacks (31-5 overall, 11-3 Region XX) are second behind reigning Region XX champion CCBC-Catonsville. The Cardinals (35-9, 10-0) went 20-0 in the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference, sweeping a final-week doubleheader against Chesapeake to claim the state crown.
Chesapeake head coach Durrie Hayes said there are some advantages with being the tournament host.
"One advantage is you don't have to travel and you can sleep in that morning," said Hayes. "There's also a comfort level (playing at home). You know how much foul territory there is, you know about (how to play) overthrows and passed balls. Those are little things, but they certainly have the potential to help you. "
Catonsville and Chesapeake receive first-round byes in the double-elimination tournament, which begins Friday.
"That's a biggie," Hayes said of avoiding a first-round game. "Anybody can beat you. Just having to play another game gives you another opportunity to lose another game – and that is not a good idea."
Third-seeded Potomac State College of West Virginia University (24-6, 11-3) plays sixth-seeded CCBC-Dundalk (16-17, 5-9) in Friday's 10 a.m. tournament opener with the winner taking on Chesapeake at 2 p.m. The Catamounts swept Dundalk, 5-4 and 12-3, in a regular-season doubleheader.
Potomac State split a regular-season doubleheader against the Skipjacks, dropping a 12-7 decision in the opener before holding on to win the nightcap, 7-6, in a game called due to darkness with one out in the seventh and the tying run on third.
Fourth-seeded College of Southern Maryland (19-7, 7-7) and fifth-seeded Hagerstown Community College (20-14, 6-8) tangle in the other first-round contest, with the winner playing Catonsville at 4 p.m. CSM swept the Hawks, 6-5 and 8-7, in their regular-season doubleheader.
Catonsville swept both CSM and Hagerstown by a combined score of 33-3 with three shutouts.
While Catonsville comes into the tournament as the favorite, Hayes noted "nothing's guaranteed."
"Anything can happen," he said. "That's why you have to play the games."
"I'm confident we're going to play well and we have as good a chance as anybody," added Hayes.
Chesapeake 5, Naval Academy 1
ANNAPOLIS – Kellieanne Tyner (14-2) pitched a six-hitter with six strikeouts and no walks, and went 3-for-4 at the plate in Saturday's opener against the U.S. Naval Academy club team.
Tyner (three RBI) had a two-run double as part of a three-run fifth inning that broke a 1-1 tie. Samantha Greenwell (double) went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Chesapeake 5, Naval Academy 2
ANNAPOLIS – Stephanie Weyermiller (6-1) pitched a six-hitter as the Skipjacks completed Saturday's sweep to reach 31 wins.
Weyermiller struck out two, walked one and hit one batter.
Hannah Stringer (two runs, steal) went 2-for-4 to lead Chesapeake's attack and Taryn Zietlow delivered a double. Samantha Greenwell (three RBI) had a two-run single to key a three-run seventh as the Skipjacks turned a 2-1 lead into a 5-1 cushion.
Notes: Tori Spies, a Colonel Richardson High grad, played for the Naval Academy and had a hit in each game. Hayes said he coached Spies' mother at Easton High.