Sports
Softball: Howard Wins Spot in State Title Game
Pitcher Kensey O'Neill retired the final 21 batters in a 4-0 win over Damascus.
All season long the Howard Lions have had a goal which can only be fulfilled with a state title. Howard, with a 21-2 record, won the county and regional title with little difficulty and sailed through their semifinal game Tuesday with a near perfect game by pitcher Kensey O’Neill.
But if Howard is to capture a state title, they have to go through a 21-0 Northern (Calvert) team in the 3A State Final. Only one Howard County team, the 2007 Hammond Golden Bears, has ever won a state title in softball.
Howard Coach Dave Vezzi has headed the Lions for 23 years but had never made it to a state final before.
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“As a coach, it’s the ultimate thing to have a chance at a state championship” Vezzi said after Tuesday's win over Damascus. “It’s a great feeling.”
Howard was in championship form Tuesday night. After O’Neill allowed a lead-off double to the first batter of the game, she retired the next 21 batters.
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“She pitched a great game; I mean what can you say?” Vezzi said. “She hit spots and kept them off balance. There were maybe two times where they got the bat on the ball real hard.”
O’Neill struck out eight batters, including the side in the sixth inning. But the defense also played an excellent game – Vezzi called it “flawless,” with the team behind O'Neill making several great plays and, just as importantly, no errors.
The Lions had nine hits and walked twice and were aided by defensive miscues on Damascus’s part. Two errors at shortstop in the first inning allowed the Lions to get their first run.It could have been much worse for Damascus, but the Swarmin' Hornets' right-fielder robbed Howard's Samantha Travisano of a base hit with runners on.
The Lions were able to take advantage of another error at shortstop in the third inning when Sage McGrann reached on a grounder to short. She stole second and scored on a RBI double by Kaci Frick.
Howard scored another run in both the fifth and sixth innings.
The Lions will play for the championship Saturday at 11 a.m. at Robert E. Cannon Stadium at the University of Maryland in College Park.
