Laurel High Softball Team Prepares to Face Roosevelt

The Laurel High softball team has benefitted this season from a quartet of seniors who have several years of experience with the Spartans.

Becca Jayne, a center fielder and pitcher, has been one of the top hitters for Laurel the past few years. Sarah Allsop, a shortstop and catcher, has been another strong offensive threat for the Spartans and like Jayne has also played four years for Laurel.

Senior left fielder Casey Li Causi, another strong hitter, and senior Jasmyn Walker, who plays first, third and outfield, give third-year coach Julie Provino four experienced players. Li Causi has played on varsity for three years while Walker, a transfer from Parkdale, is in her second season at Laurel.

Laurel is coming off losses on Wednesday to Great Mills and South River in a long day of softball at South River in Anne Arundel County. "Our bats went well. Those Anne Arundel pitchers are very fast," Jayne told Patch on Thursday. "We did better than expected."

Laurel returns to action on Tuesday in a home game against Eleanor Roosevelt of Greenbelt. Jayne said she hopes to play softball in college. She has looked into Hood in Frederick and has been accepted by Division III schools Frostburg State and Stevenson. She played soccer as a freshman and sophomore at Laurel.

Jayne said Li Causi may try and play volleyball in college. The pre-season roster for Laurel included two freshmen (Tia Craft and Bria Wallace) and two sophomores: Jamilia Mitchell and Zelle Ndika. The team also had eight juniors on the roster.

Laurel High baseball gets another no-hitter

Alex Hanavin pitched five innings and got the win as the Laurel High baseball team downed High Point, 18-8 on Monday. The Spartans were leading, 9-8, going into the last of the fifth inning when they scored nine runs to win via the mercy rule. Laurel improved to 6-3 with the win under head coach Bryan Harris.

Laurel's David Carmen, who threw a no-hitter on April 15 in a win over DuVal, had three hits against High Point. The Spartans also got strong hitting from Alex Viamont, James Bell and Anthony Nicome. Laurel is slated to face Lansdowne on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at Laurel High and Digital Harbor and Long Reach will play at 11 a.m. The losers and winners of the first two games will meet later in the day.

Carmen had 18 strikeouts in the 5-1 win over DuVal as he did not allow a hit. It was the fourth no-hitter in the past two seasons for Laurel, according to head Bryan Harris. Nicome and Hanavin combined for a no-hitter earlier this season.

"We are definitely coming together and improving, as I expected," Harris said. "Our bats have been (strong) all year. Defense has been improved, which I am happy about." The three losses for Laurel in league play have been to the top three teams in the county: Bowie, Roosevelt and Parkdale.

Pallotti baseball falls at Riverdale Baptist

The Pallotti High baseball team lost, 5-4, on Monday night in Upper Marlboro against Riverdale Baptist, one of the top programs in the area. It was the first time the teams had met in 10 years under Pallotti head coach Pat Courtemanche.

Riverdale Baptist scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and took a 3-0 lead against Pallotti. "Once they got the three runs we settled down," said Courtemanche.

The Panthers scored two runs in the top of the fifth and two more in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Riverdale Baptist scored one run in the last of the sixth to tie the game and then scored a run with one out in the last of the seventh for a 5-4 victory. "It was a great game to be a part of," Courtemanche told Patch.

The Crusaders improved to 14-9 this season while Pallotti fell to 10-6 overall. Riverdale Baptist benefitted from patience and pitch selection at the plate, as the Crusaders drew eight walks from two Pallotti pitchers. "We have to eliminate the walks against a great team like that," Courtemanche said.

Jackson Souder started on the mound for Pallotti and allowed six walks, three runs and two hits in three innings. He gave way to Corey Dirks, who was charged with the loss after he allowed two walks, two runs and three hits in 3.1 innings of work.

Johnny Maloney had two hits for Pallotti and Matt DeFrank and Steve Martin each drove in two runs for the Panthers. Martin, a senior, is a former player at Riverdale Baptist. Pallotti was set to begin play Thursday at a high school tournament in Rock Hill, SC.

Pallotti grads at McDaniel

Two sisters, Beth Ann and Lauren Fusco, are teammates with the softball team at Division III McDaniel in Carroll County. Both are graduates of St. Vincent Pallotti High.

Beth Ann, a senior shortstop, hit .211 in her first 71 at bats. Lauren, a junior outfielder, hit .194 in her first 31 at bats this season. The team was 9-19 overall in games through Tuesday.

Laurel residents Meagan Hess and Lauren Decker are on the team at Division II Washington Adventist in Takoma Park. Hess, a freshman, was hitting .294 in games through Tuesday while Decker, a senior, was hitting .300 for a team that was 4-11 overall.

Laurel resident Kelly Trimble, a graduate of Pallotti, is a freshman on the softball team at Maryland.