Chris Appel
COLLEGE PARK — Pocomoke is the last remaining obstacle in Fort Hill’s quest for a second straight Maryland 1A State title, and the Sentinels will lay it all on the line when they take on the Warriors today at 1:30 p.m. at Robert E. Taylor Stadium in College Park.
The Sentinels (20-1) place a 19-game winning streak on the line, and have three consecutive shutouts heading into this afternoon’s contest. Fort Hill downed Pikesville 4-0 in the state semifinals behind a 15-strikeout performance from Shari Beavers. Beavers has pitched all three shutouts, with a 11-0 win over Clear Spring and a 5-0 victory over Allegany in the 1A West Playoffs.
“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.”
Besides the 15 strikeouts, Beavers has allowed just three hits to the opposition. The Sentinels, on the other hand, collected nine hits. Beavers, Kathryn Huber and Olivia Stanley all hit important triples, and Lindsey Fisher finished with two singles and a double.
Pocomoke (16-3) made its way to the finals through the East Region. After earning a first-round bye the Warriors beat Washington 8-0 and North Dorchester 11-1. They then edged out the team that the Sentinels beat in last year’s finals, Col. Richardson, by 8-5 in the finals. Pocomoke easily handled Glenelg 14-3 in the state semifinals.
Contact Chris Appel at cappel@times-news.com.
Directions to Robert E. Taylor Stadium
COLLEGE PARK — The Fort Hill softball team will be out to successfully defend its Maryland Class 1A state softball championship when it takes on Pocomoke today, 1:30 p.m., at the University of Maryland.
The following directions to the Maryland softball facility appear on the softball page of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association web site, www.mpssaa.org:
From Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway): Take Exit 25 for U.S. Route 1 South to Rt. 193 West (University Blvd.). Follow Rt. 193 for about a mile to the traffic light at Paint Branch Parkway and take a left. The Softball Stadium will be on the right-hand side directly beside the Comcast Center. Parking is available on either side of the Comcast Center with access to the stadium.
