Falcons Continue To Soar In Wins Over Broadneck, Arundel

Posted

The Severna Park softball team didn’t let a closely battled, Friday-night defeat to Chesapeake on April 20 derail what is and continues to be an awesome 2018 season.

Instead, the Falcons pounded out 39 runs in their next three games — all wins — to improve to 12-1 in the county and 14-2 overall through April 27, clearing the way for a likely spot in the county championship game on May 8 and amassing further credit toward a top seed in the 4A East playoffs.

Wins over Meade, Broadneck and Arundel in the final full week of April featured the kind of offensive explosions few teams have been able to stop Severna Park from producing. After a 19-0 win over the Mustangs, the Falcons topped Broadneck 10-5 at home on April 20, getting a split pitching effort from Marissa Heuer and Kylie Dingess to defeat the Bruins.

Campbell Kline went 5 for 5 and broke the game open early with a three-run home run she drilled over the right-center field fence. Emma Hall was 4 for 4 with two runs batted in while Heuer had two hits and two RBIs and Jessie Smith and Dingess both had two hits and an RBI. Emily Summers and Emily Wilson had two hits each as the Falcons racked up 19 hits as a team to beat Broadneck for the second time this season; Severna Park also topped the Bruins 10-0 back on March 23.

“It feels good to beat them twice, especially today at home,” said Hall, who played solid at third base in addition to her perfect day at the plate.

Dingess noted the nature of the rivalry with Broadneck, as many of the girls know each other and play with and against each other during the summer.

“It felt good coming out [to pitch] after Marissa, because Marissa did a good job,” said Dingess. “We play with some of the girls on the other team [in the summer], so it felt good to beat them, a little friendly competition.”

Julia Harrison continued her strong season for Broadneck, going 2 for 4 and scoring twice for the Bruins, who also got hits from Madison Chadwick, Noelani Herrera, Elizabeth Shafer and Brittany Ehrlich.

PHOTO GALLERY: Severna Park vs. Broadneck softball, 4.26.18

PHOTO GALLERY: Severna Park vs. North County softball, 4.19.18

The Bruins (5-10) had a solid win over Glen Burnie earlier in April, but the tough stretch of Northeast-Chesapeake-Severna Park in late April gave them the trouble it could easily give to any team.

“[Severna Park] hit the ball. They’re a good team, hats off to them,” said Broadneck coach Deanna Romeo-Hamilton. “We’re hoping to rebound here going into the last week and heading into playoffs.”

Severna Park retained momentum a day later against Arundel, winning 10-1 behind another split effort in the circle from Heuer (three innings) and Dingess (four). Kline was 3 for 5 with three runs batted in while Smith, Heuer, Hall, Summers, Makenzie Rice, Abby Becker and Maddy Gerard and all had base hits in the victory.

On the season, the Falcons’ gaudy offensive stats warrant a double-take, particularly the preposterous numbers being put up by Kline. The junior shortstop and left-handed batter is hitting .759 — 44 for 58 — with six homers, six doubles, 19 RBIs and 35 runs in 16 games.

Kline said the team-wide slugging is a constant source of energy for the Falcons.

“We keep battling really hard,” said Kline. “Everybody gets pumped up to hit. Coming out of the Chesapeake game, we were excited to keep playing and excited to keep hitting.”

Her teammates haven’t exactly been slouches. Heuer (.500, 26 for 52 with three home runs and 25 RBI), Dingess (.451 with 17 RBI and 13 runs), Hall (.417 with 11 RBI and nine runs), Smith (.400 with 18 RBIs and 12 runs), Becker (.367), Summers (.317 with 12 runs), Wilson (.316 in 24 at-bats, 14 runs), Gerard (.292, 14 hits, 10 RBIs), and Emily Gabbard (.286, five runs) have all produced their share of offense.

Though a run through the region and into the state tournament is ultimately more sought, the Falcons will in all likelihood get another crack at Chesapeake to decide the outright county champion on May 8.

For playoff purposes it will be a meaningless game. But there’s pride on the line.

“We’ve been working hard, and it would be nice to show that we’re number-one in the county and that all that hard work pays off,” said Hall of a potential rematch.

Dingess concurred, saying, “We definitely would like to come out strong at the county championships.”

Severna Park coach Meredith McAlister said the big-game experience from the April 20 game and a likely rematch will help the team as it moves into the region bracket.

“We had a [one-run] loss to them this year, but last year we had a one-run win against them,” said McAlister. “We can learn from that game and come out and win it. They’ve had experience in big games, but we just had a pretty good experience, Friday night, under the lights, so we just need to learn from that and come out strong.”

PHOTO GALLERY: Severna Park vs. Broadneck softball, 4.26.18

PHOTO GALLERY: Severna Park vs. North County softball, 4.19.18

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here