Update: McLean Extends Win Streak to Seven

Update: McLean extended its winning streak to seven, beating Madison in 14 innings, Friday.

 McLean in the bottom of the 14th inning parlayed two errors into a run for a 1-0 home win over No. 5 Madison, The Washington Post reported.

ORIGINAL STORY: McLean softball under sixth-year head coach Maurice Tawil has become a beacon of consistency and success. The Highlanders captured the state title in 2010, beating Mechanicsville Va.’s Lee Davis High School, and came within one run of winning the 2011 Northern Region championship.

Ten games into the 2012 season, Tawil’s Highlanders are 8-2 and are the owners of a six-game win streak. For Tawil, it’s business as usual.

“I really like this team. We’re hitting very well and our defense is improving constantly,” Tawil said. “If we continue to play defense behind our pitching and keep hitting the way we have been, we’re confident that we can compete for a district and regional title.”

With the way McLean’s played up until this point this season, Tawil’s expectations look to be  attainable. The Highlanders convincingly defeated Thomas Jefferson 13-3 on April 10 in an offensive explosion that saw McLean batters collect nine hits, four doubles, a triple and a homerun in just five innings. During the team’s current six-game win streak, the Highlanders have outscored opponents 60-7.

Senior captain and first baseman, Allison Wilhelm, earned a plethora of accolades last season for her dominant play and Tawil expects her to produce even greater results by season’s end. Wilhelm is joined by fellow senior and captain Mary Spulak, who also earned post-season honors last year. Both will attend the University of Virginia this fall.

“I ask my captains to fulfill a large role. They’re an extension of me and the coaching staff and I give them a lot of responsibility,” Tawil said of his two seniors. “They have a lot of motivational and leadership responsibilities. They are also able to make decisions or help me make decisions and I rely on them for those types of things.”

Tawil is fielding perhaps one of his youngest teams since assuming head coaching duties. And several young starters are playing their first season at the varsity level.

Junior catcher, Maddie Moore, has been ferocious at the plate this season. Moore has doubled her batting average from last year and is currently leading the team in homeruns and runs batted in.

“We’re a little bit younger that we’ve been in years past. But we’re a team that is constantly getting better and we’ve seen an enormous amount of progress since the beginning of the year,” said Tawil. “At this point in the season, we’re playing very well.”

Sophomore outfielder, Christin Geisler, is one of McLean’s most impressive emerging young players. Geisler started on the varsity level last season, but her role on the team this year has increased as she’s currently batting in the leadoff spot.

“Christy has stepped into the position and is hitting around .500. She’s an excellent hitter and has excellent speed,” Tawil said. “She has exceeded expectations.”

As the midpoint of the season quickly approaches, McLean finds itself second in the Liberty District standings behind Stone Bridge. McLean suffered a 15-3 loss to Stone Bridge earlier in the season, but will have another opportunity for a victory on April 24. Barring a colossal collapse in the second half of the season, Tawil and his Highlanders will legitimately compete for the regional crown, and quite possibly, a state title.

Up next: At Madison today at 6:30 p.m.