High School Sports: Liberty Downs Winters Mill in Softball

Liberty had two defeat two opponents Monday to advance in the softball Class 2A West region.

Mother Nature stopped the game twice with thunder and then there was county foe Winters Mill. The Lions out dueled the Falcons 5-0.

"I didn’t think we were going to get it in, so it worked out pretty well. It looked like there was a big storm headed our way, it must have went around us," said Liberty coach Chris Szocik.

Junior Mackenzie Thompson led Liberty with her bat and arm. She fanned eight Falcons and only gave up three singles in the game. At the plate, she had a triple that led to the Lions first run in the bottom of the second.

After one out in the sixth, Thompson hit to the hole for a single. A walk and infield hit loaded the bases. First baseman Kara Chopper hit a ball that the right fielder tried to catch up to, but fell on the right field line and cleared the bases. Chopper had three hits in the game.

"We have been winning by a couple pretty much all year. We keep getting on them. What are you girls doing, just enough to win. Remember they can come back two or three runs. You know you need more than two runs. Luckily we got it at the end," said Szocik.

Jessica Beall throw a good game for the visitors as she struck out two and allowed six hits.

Winters Mill had a threat in the top of the sixth. A single by Amanda Compton was followed by a fielders choice and an error. After a steal, there were Falcons on second and third and one out. A fly ball to left was caught by Kaitlyn Weisgerber in foul territory and threw to third to double up the runner, who left the base.

The game took just short of three hours with the two delays. Each delay took at least 30 minutes.

Asked if the weather was a problem, Szocik said,"It was the same thing for them too. On any given day anything can happen. So you hope for the best." 

Liberty will play the winner of the North Hagerstown-Poolesville game.

Century was knocked out of the tournament with a 11-1 loss to Walkersville.