White Warriors Complete Perfect Season, Win NCCGSL Championship

By Colin Murphy

In an all-Severna Park championship matchup, the Severna Park White Warriors defeated the Severna Park Green Hornets, 12-2, to win the North County Community Girls Softball League 12U Championship at Rock Creek Park on June 19. The White Warriors finished the year undefeated (19-0), capping a dominant regular season with a playoff run that saw them outscore opponents 76-16 over five games.

Head Coach Guy Klingensmith was proud to see his team gel at the right time and play their best ball from midway through the season on. “We had them write down their goals at the beginning of the year,” said Klingensmith, “and they all wanted to go undefeated. So it’s been very exciting.”

Behind a powerhouse offense consisting of Taylor Aguilar, Robin Bachkosky, Madison Bailey, Sage Beauparlant, Bryn Burgett, Kailey Campbell, Laura Dingess, Caroline Duffy, Natalie Harrington, Payton Klingensmith, Viktorria McCormick, Jenna Novosel, Anne O’Friel, Elizabeth Patrick, Katie Seidl, and Brianna Watson, the White Warriors hammered opposing pitching all season long, totaling 298 runs in 19 outings and only twice scoring less than 10 runs.

Another key to the White Warriors’ success this season was their pair of aces, starting pitchers Katie Seidl and Payton Klingensmith, who combined to pitch in every victory for Severna Park this season. The dynamic duo recorded a jaw-dropping 198 strikeouts, 135 by Seidl and 63 by Klingensmith.

It was the power-pitching Seidl and the crafty Klingensmith who got the playoffs started on a high note for the White Warriors. In Severna Park’s first-round game against the Crofton Red Flash, Seidl and Klingensmith combined for a five-inning perfect game: 15 up and 15 down, including 10 strikeouts. The offense likewise did their part and then some against Crofton, pounding out 21 runs in the lopsided 21-0 victory.

In Severna Park’s next two games against the Lake Shore Pink Lemonade and Brooklyn Park Cyclones, the White Warriors cruised to 16-5 and 13-4 victories on the strength of outstanding defense from catcher Sage Beauparlant and fielders Novosel, Watson, and Dingess, as well as the continued offensive excellence of the entire lineup.

In the team’s semifinal matchup against the GORC Wildcats, a towering home run by Seidl and stellar team-wide offense and defense powered the White Warriors to a one-sided 14-5 victory and a place in the final against their Severna Park Green Hornet counterparts.

The championship match saw the White Warriors do as they have all season; put together multiple scoring rallies and keep the lead behind strong pitching and defense. Watson, Beauparlant, Bachkosky, Bailey, O’Friel, and Campbell led the way offensively, and another gem from Seidl and Klingensmith kept the Green Hornets from mounting any serious threats offensively. The White Warriors went on to win by a score of 12-2 to claim the title of 2011 NCCGSL 12U Champions.

“I love all my teammates, and I think we played some great ball this year,” said Novosel after the championship game. “Even when we were down, like [in the game against GORC], we kept believing.”

Coach Klingensmith had praise for everyone after the championship win. “We couldn’t have done this without the support of the parents, so thank you to them. [Assistant Coaches] Scott [Beauparlant] and Jade [Beauparlant] have been outstanding all year, and the girls have just been great with each other,” he continued. “The biggest thing is the friendships. They really support each other. One gets down, the others pick her up, and they’ve always got each other’s backs. It’s been a great year.”