Steve Luse
CUMBERLAND — One big adrenaline rush can make the difference in a high school girls softball game and Fort Hill pitcher Shari Beavers got one when the top-ranked Sentinels scored all five of their runs in the third inning of a 5-1 victory over second-ranked Mountain Ridge in an Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference game on Friday afternoon at Long Field.
The win lifts Fort Hill’s overall record to 15-1 and puts the Sentinels in sole possession of first place in the AMAC with a 13-1 mark after a series sweep of Mountain Ridge. The Miners, who lost the first meeting 6-4, slip to 13-2 overall and in the conference.
“Our team really sticks together and finds ways to win,” said Fort Hill coach Mike Bittner, who guided the Sentinels to the Maryland Class 1A state championship in his first year at the helm last season. “This was a game between two quality teams. Mountain Ridge is very athletic and is well-coached. Even with a 5-1 lead we never felt safe.”
Beavers finished with a four-hitter after allowing Mountain Ridge a run in the first inning, and also had a key two-run double. The hard-throwing senior right-hander had 10 strikeouts and only one walk in recording her ninth win in 10 decisions.
“Shari Beavers is our team leader and leads by example,” said Bittner. “She is usually in control and the way she goes is the way the team goes.”
Mountain Ridge got its run in the first inning when Taylor Llewellyn singled up the middle and scored on a double down the third-base line by Danielle McGinnis.
“Giving up one run was no big deal,” said Beavers. “I knew our team was going to hit the ball and get more than one run.”
Mountain Ridge pitcher Kelsey Robertson allowed only six hits, struck out six and walked one. She hadn’t allowed a baserunner until Lindsay Fisher hit a hard single up the middle with two out in the third to start the five-run explosion.
“A big key was Lindsay Fisher getting that two-out single. That got us rolling,” said Bittner.
Kathryn Huber followed Fisher’s hit with a a bloop single, and Destiny James drove in the tying run with basehit just out of the reach of the Mountain Ridge shortstop. Beavers then aided her own cause with the two-run double to left.
“It’s an adrenalin rush when the people in front of you hit,” said Beavers. “With our team it’s like a chain reaction.”
After Beavers’ double, Fort Hill catcher Adria Lewis sent a blast just inside the the left-field foul pole that was believed to have gone at least 250 feet for a two-run home run to conclude the scoring.
“I knew as soon as I hit it it would be a home run if it would stay fair,” said Lewis, who has four home runs on the season. “I have hit other home runs, but nothing like that. It was really exciting.”
Mountain Ridge is now hoping to meet Fort Hill in the playoffs.
“They out-played us and we didn’t hit well today,” said coach Martha Mauzy. “We hope to get another shot at them.”
Fort Hill will host Northern on Monday at 3 p.m. at Long Field, and will face third-ranked Allegany in the regular-season finale that could decide the AMAC title on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Belt Field. Mountain Ridge will play at Hampshire in a make-up game on Tuesday.Contact Steve Luse at sluse@times-news.com.
