From Staff Reports
GLEN BURNIE — Shari Beavers struck out 15 and allowed just three hits in her third consecutive shutout, getting the Sentinels in position to defend it’s Maryland 1A State title with a 4-0 win over Pikesville Tuesday at Bachman Park.
The Sentinels will face Pocomoke, a 13-2 winner over Glenelg in the other semifinal, on Saturday for the Maryland state title. The time for Saturday’s match-up will be determined.
“We’ve gotten to where we wanted to be,” said Fort Hill Head Coach Mike Bittner. “We got a chance, and all we ever wanted was a shot. Now we just have to come to play.”
Fort Hill stretched it’s winning streak to 19 games and is now 20-1 overall. It has outscored its opponents in the playoffs by a total of 23-2 with the only two runs coming in a 3-2 win over Catoctin in the second round.
Besides striking out 15, Beavers was one of three Sentinels who hit important triples. Her first inning three-base hit scored Destiny James, who singled before her. Adria Lewis then scored Beavers on a sacrifice fly that gave Fort Hill a 2-0 lead.
Another triple came into play in the fourth inning. After Lindsey Fisher doubled, Kathryn Huber tripled her home to stretch the score to 3-0. Olivia Stanley hit the third Sentinel triple in the sixth inning, and scored when Alyssia Yost grounded into a fielder’s choice.
Fisher finished with a third of Fort Hill’s nine hits by adding a pair of singles to her fourth inning double.