Softball: Vikings Topple McDonough, 10-7, Reach 2A State Finals

Lansdowne hurler Maude McCourry didn’t deliver her typical dominating performance on the mound in Tuesday afternoon’s 2A State Semifinal, but with the way she and her teammates swung the bat and played defense, she didn’t have to.

McCourry went 3 for 3 with two triples and added a clutch two-run double that put her squad up 10-4 in the top of the sixth, providing key insurance runs as McDonough (Charles County) frantically clawed back to bring the tying run to the plate in the final inning—after trailing by as much as 8-0 early on.

However, McCourry struck out nine-hole hitter Taylor Blare looking with runners on first and second to end the game, securing a 10-7 win and a spot in the state championship on Saturday in College Park where Lansdowne (19-3) will take on Easton (also 19-3).

The late charge by McDonough (14-8) seemed unlikely after the first two innings Lansdowne put together.

Right out of the gate, the Vikings took advantage of every Rams miscue, scoring six runs and batting around in an opening frame that included three McDonough errors.

Senior Kelli Pease slapped a single to left to lead off the game and dashed into second when Blare in left field bobbled the ball. When Hunter Long beat out a bunt single and then proceeded to take off for second, Pease scampered home with the defense’s attention turned to Long.

Long, who ended up on third on the play, took home on a wild pitch on the very next offering.

Lansdowne scored two runs on two base hits that didn’t leave the infield.

“The girls are quick on the bases and I have the utmost faith in them,” Lansdowne head coach Jamie Izdebski said. “They are very smart they see the ball, go with it and they take off. They make things happen.”  

With the bases cleared, McCourry wasn’t about to let the rally die down. The junior served a bloop hit to shallow right that bounced past right fielder Taylor Croson for a triple and would score on a Sera Stull single.

Three batters later, Stephanie Lohmeyer delivered a line drive single to right that was destined to bring home Stull from second, but after the ball rolled through the legs of Croson, Marlaina McCourry (who had walked) hustled all the way around from first to make the score 5-0.  

Aubrey Melcher’s RBI groundout plated Lohmeyer to cap the scoring.

“I just think we came out and we were tight and it was an atmosphere that a lot of the girls aren’t used to playing at,” McDonough head coach Julie Snavely said, referring to her squad’s early, 6-0 hole. “I told our girls, had we started an inning earlier it could have another way.”

Snavely may have been right, as after RBI hits from Maude and Marlaina McCourry earned the Vikings an 8-0 lead in the second, McDonough starter Jazzmyn Hayden held Lansdowne hitless for the next three frames.

Meanwhile, the Rams got on the board with one run in the second and added three more in the third (all with two outs) to close the gap to 8-4.

“It shows character,” Snavely said. “Yeah, we could have folded easily and made this a mercy rule, but it just shows character that we stayed in and plugged away.”

Added Izdebski, who noted that only against Seton Keough did her squad surrender more hits, “They came back, they were going hard, and finding the holes…they had some solid hits.”  

Ahead by just four and the momentum swinging dangerously in favor of the Rams, Lansdowne knew it would have to put something together offensively. Not surprisingly, it was Maude McCourry who came through again.

In the top of the sixth, after back-to-back walks to Pease and Long followed by a wild pitch that moved both into scoring position, McCourry tomahawked an eye-high rise ball to left-center to plate both runners and put the Vikings ahead, comfortably (at the time) by six.

“That was key,” Izdebski said of the insurance runs. “I was sitting there going, ‘there’s nobody I’d want up right now rather than Maude’. With Hunter and Kelli on base, I knew anything hit on the grass and those two were scoring.”  

The runs proved to be crucial.

With the score 10-5 in the bottom of the seventh, McDonough strung together four singles to plate two runs and come within three. However, defensive plays by the Vikings (who committed no errors on the day) helped protect the lead.

After the Rams led off with a single, Long’s pick of a one-hop Jesse Dore throw to second forced out the lead runner and Marlaina McCourry’s grab in right field prevented any runs from crossing while the bases were loaded.

Then, an Erica Richardson single brought home two runs, however, Marlaina McCourry's hustle to cut the ball off in right-center prevented at least one, but possibly two more, from scoring.

Maude McCourry followed by freezing Blare with an outside fastball to close out the game.

“I don’t know what to say, I love the kids,” Izdebski said following the game.”They are gamers. None of the kids gave up, they stayed in there the whole game—both teams. I’m just excited.”

BOX SCORE

Lansdowne 10, McDonough 7

L 620 002 0----10 9 0

M013 001 2----7 12 3

Pitching                               IP            R             H             BB           K

L

Mau. McCourry (W)        7              7              12           4              5

M

Hayden (L)                          7              10           9              8              7

Batting

RBI: L-Mau. McCourry 3, Stull, Lohmeyer, Mar. McCourry.

        M-Richardson 3, Hayden 2, Morris, McKenzie.

2B: L-Mau. McCourry.

3B: L- Mau. McCourry 2.