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Familiar feeling for Holston softball
For the second straight season, Holston High School’s softball team had to settle for second best.
“It hurts knowing that we worked so hard to get here and we fell short,” said Holston junior Megan Honaker.
Committing three errors and managing just two hits against Bath County pitcher Jailyn Ford, the Cavaliers suffered a 3-0 setback to the Chargers on Saturday morning in the VHSL Group A, Division 1 championship game at Virginia Tech.
Holston was again left with the empty feeling of being unable to win the final game of the season. The Cavaliers dropped a 5-1 decision to Gretna in the 2010 state championship game.
“It’s just a testament to these girls that we made it to this game,” said Holston coach Lisa Blackburn. “We just made uncharacteristic [mistakes] today. You can attribute that to the nerves and just being excited and hyped up for the game.
“Those things happen. I can’t say enough about these girls. They work hard every day and I’m proud to be their coach.”
Things unraveled early for Holston as Bath County bolted to a 2-0 lead. The Chargers took advantage of a leadoff single from Amanda Shifflett, a stolen base, an error, a walk and a sacrifice fly to gain a two-run edge in the top of the first inning.
A 2-0 lead before she had even thrown a pitch was enticing for Ford.
“It definitely set the tone for the game,” Ford said. “It took a lot of pressure off me.”
It proved detrimental for the Cavaliers.
“That was hard,” said Holston second baseman Brittany Boyd. “We wanted to get up. They were hitting the ball. We weren’t.”
It was a Bath County team already charged up before the first-inning fireworks.
Just eight days before, Holston had rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Pioneer District champions in the finals of the regional tourney.
“They came back for revenge,” said BC coach Lisa Baugh. “They wanted to win fair and square.”
Ford struck out 15 and walked three in her two-hitter as none of Holston’s five baserunners advanced past second base. Freshman Amelia Wampler accounted for both of the Cavs’ hits – singling in the fourth and seventh – while Faith Ritchie drew a pair of walks. Neither was able to be driven home.
“We weren’t hitting when we needed to,” Honaker said. “If we got a baserunner on, our hits just weren’t coming together.”
Holston pitcher Morgan Lowe yielded six hits and struck out six in the loss. Holston saw its 24-game winning streak snapped as the Cavaliers lost for the first time since a 3-2 setback to Abingdon in late March.
After Holston’s players accepted the state runner-up trophy and individual medals, they watched Bath County receive the big gold trophy.
Blackburn put the loss in perspective as her team silently milled around the dugout.
Only the sound of equipment being packed up could be heard while Blackburn tried to put the loss in perspective.
“It is a huge accomplishment two years in a row,” Blackburn said. “I hope when these girls get home and get over the hurt of it all, I hope they realize they did make it two years in a row. There’s not many teams that do that.
“One time is a dream, but twice. … I just wish we could have finished it with a state championship.”
Holston’s players were also already looking ahead to 2012. The Cavaliers lose just one senior off their team and 12 months from now will be looking to get a third chance at a state crown.
“We’re going to come out next year ready to win,” Boyd said.
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