Cavaliers Quiet Chargers Early In Big Win

Varsity Baseball: Caroline Cavaliers vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

The Chancellor Chargers (7-5) fell victim to a dominating Caroline Cavaliers team Friday night, as an early lead due to a home run by Number 13 put them in a hole they couldn't really recover from in a 10-0 loss.

The Cavaliers seemed to have the Chargers number all night, as they worked constantly off errors and walks that piled up and haunted the Chargers. The Chargers starting pitcher Bryce Sheetz had recovered for a bit after allowing two early runs, but the wheels would fall of later on in the fifth inning.

Number 13 for the Cavaliers had a huge night, as he knocked in 5 runs and pitched a complete game shutout only allowing two hits. He had two home runs and didn't give up a hit until the fourth inning as well. Jeff Pates did have an apparent triple in the opening inning, but it was determined that he missed first base and the hit was negated.

The Chargers were never really able to recover, struggling again with runners on base. Will Temple came close to putting it over the left field wall late in the game, but it came up just short of the wall. Many Chargers hit against the Cavaliers really well, but lady luck never seemed to be on their side.

The team is still looking for its offensive groove, and a little luck, which has faltered in the last couple weeks. All it takes is one big hit in baseball, and this team still has a lot of great baseball left to play.

The team will look to find momentum next Tuesday at Courtland, a team they walked off against earlier in the year. It's another conference match up and another big game for the Chargers, as they look for some leadership to bring back their offensive momentum

Tillman's Big Day Helps Chargers Rally and Defeat Cavaliers

Varsity Softball: Caroline Cavaliers vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

After losing a heart breaker in an eleven inning affair the night before, the Chancellor Chargers (3-7) showed no lack of heart today as they rallied from down 6 to storm back and take down one of their conference foes the Caroline Cavaliers with a final score of 8 - 7.

In the first inning, it was the Cavaliers who struck first off the Chargers starting pitcher Taylor Sullivan. After the Cavaliers J Copper walked and advanced on an error, she was knocked in by a sacrifice fly from the Cavaliers H Queen who was helping her own cause on the mound. Sullivan, after a shaky start, sat down three batters in a row including a strikeout for an impressive first inning.

The Chargers hit the ball hard in the bottom of that inning, but couldn't find any holes and came up empty. Sam Tillman struck out to start the game, but that would be the last time the Cavaliers would retire her for the rest of the night.

Sullivan was back on the mound for the second, dancing around trouble to keep the score close. The Cavaliers had two runners in scoring position with one out, but Sullivan showed no fear in retiring the next two batters she faced. E Nelson grounded into a fielders choice at the plate, while the following batter popped up to second baseman to end the threat.

In the bottom of the second, Kenzie Coates started her day with a walk followed by a single from Lindsay Pett who would go on to have a nice day at the plate. The Cavaliers Queen would douse the Chargers threat immediately however, as she struck out the next three batters she saw to keep the Chargers scoreless.

In the third and fourth innings, the Cavaliers got the bats moving. Queen continued to have a hot night at the plate with a double that scored one and put Sullivan in a bind. Sullivan would be removed after giving up her second run, replaced by Pett who was coming off a long outing the night before against Spotsylvania. She struggled a bit, allowing 3 runs in her first two innings of work and was forced to work against the entirity of the Cavaliers lineup in the fourth.

After faltering a bit, the Chargers responded in a big way. To start a rally, Pett singled to try and get her team on the board. Tessa Dodson followed with a single which put Pett on third. Rachel Arnold would knock in her first run of the night with a sacrifice ground out, as Pett slid in just under the tag at the plate to break the shutout.

From there on out, Pett was lights out. She didn't falter at all when most others would from a long night before. She battled through soreness and kept the Chargers in it. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the bats came alive and the game was back in reach.

The top of the order was up for the Chargers in the fifth inning, and Tillman led things off with her first triple of the night. The next two batters would get on thanks to singles by Sarah Tiller and Noelle Greenwood. The Cavaliers yanked Queen replacing her with C Martin, but the Chargers didn't slow down. Coates singled and stole second to keep the pressure on. Then Dodson dribbled the ball to the pitcher who booted it, and made it so the Chargers trailed by just a run.

The Cavaliers squeezed across a run in the top of the 7th inning, to try and pad their lead. The Chargers, were still determined. Martin was pulled immediately after giving up a single to Coates, her second hit of the night and third time on base. Queen was brought back in to try and finish what she started.

She would strike out Pett to start things off, but it was not smooth sailing from there on out. Dodson fought hard and walked, Arnold singled collecting her second RBI of the night. With runners on second and third with two outs, down by 1, it was Tillman at the plate. Down to her last strike, she powered through and absolutely slammed a triple to the deep center field fence. It was her second triple of the night, and the biggest as Arnold was able to easily trot in to score walking it off for the Chargers.

This win is a huge morality boost for the team, who has shown to be a comeback team all year. They finally broke through tonight in a big way, picking up a crucial conference win and will travel to their rivals, Courtland Cougars, home turf next Tuesday. This team is picking up speed, and the last three weeks of the regular season should be a fun one!

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Chancellor Chargers

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Caroline Cavaliers

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Rough Night Of Errors Leads To Early Defeat For Chargers

Varsity Baseball: Chancellor Chargers vs. Spotsylvania Knights

By: Greg Wolfe

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Errors and walks haunted the Chancellor Chargers (7-4) all night against one of their in-county opponents the Spotsylvania Knights. Number 11 for the Knights had the shutout complete game effort in a shortened game, as the Knights had multiple clutch hits en route to a 10-0 victory.

In the first inning, the Chargers had an early opportunity to put runs on the board as Jordan Byrd led off with a single and stole second quickly. Standing on third with two outs, the Chargers were unable to cash in which would become a constant for the night.

The Knights responded in the bottom half of the inning quickly, as an error in left field led to the Knights' speedster standing on second and eventually being knocked in by the pitcher looking to support his own cause. It was an early 1-0 lead, and the Chargers pitcher Matt Zuna did a great job of limiting any chance the Knights had of adding on to the lead that inning.

After the Chargers left runners on second and third the next inning, the Knights continued to add to their lead working off and early walk issued by Zuna. He struggled with his off-speed pitches all night, making it hard to make those winning pitches he had shown to have earlier on in the season. It was just one of those nights.

The wheels would fall off the train in the bottom of the fourth inning for the Chargers, as a multitude of errors and walks ended Zuna's night early. The Knights worked off the opportunities they had, making do with every chance they got. Number 15 and Number 24 combined to knock in half of the team's runs tonight, off of clutch hitting.

After that, the Chargers were unable to climb the steep hill to try and get back into the game. Number 11 worked in and out of jams all night, even loading the bases in the sixth inning and striking out a Charger batter to finish his night. It was an impressive pitching performance, as he had Chargers hitting off balance all night.

The Chargers will look to find that same offensive groove they had earlier in the year tomorrow afternoon, when they host the Caroline Cavaliers for their second conference game of the year. Bryce Sheetz, who sat today, is expected to take the mound and look to improve on his senior campaign.

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Chancellor Chargers

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Spotsylvania Knights

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Chargers Show Fight, Barely Lose To Patriots

Varsity Softball: Albemarle Patriots vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

A couple weeks ago, the Chancellor Chargers (2-6) faced a rough defeat to today's opponent the Albemarle Patriots. Memories of that past game were gone by today, and the Chargers were able to show much more fight in a close 12-9 loss.

In the top of the first inning, the Patriots were able to take advantage of 3 Charger errors to push across 4 runs. The Chargers starting pitcher, Lindsay Pett, showed great poise on the mound as she worked around trouble and prevented a bad inning.

In the bottom of that first inning, her offense rewarded her with four runs to tie the game up. Sam Tillman, Sarah Tiller, and Noelle Greenwood started things off by all getting on base successfully. They all scored, thanks to a couple miscues by the Patriots but the Charger offense was alive and well throughout the entire inning, stealing bases and causing chaos.

To start the second inning, the Patriots continued stringing hits together but were held to just two runs. The Chargers offense showed resilience again, as they scored one back and kept the game close at 5-4.

After that inning, Pett settled down and only allowed two runs in her next three innings. She also totalled six strikeouts on the day, only walking a single batter which made the Patriots have to earn every run they got. Unfortunately, the Charger bats were held silence for almost the rest of the game. Patriot pitcher Ellie Cain held down the fort almost all game. She caused a lot of in play outs, not relying on any strikeouts as she only had one strikeout victim the entire game.

In the sixth inning, the Chargers new pitcher Taylor Sullivan began to show signs of struggle, but she was assured everything would be alright after Greenwood (who had been moved to left field earlier in the game) made a spectacular diving grab for an out. After that out, Sullivan was able to calm down and retire the side.

While down 12-5 headed into the final frame, most teams would find trouble trying to rally runs together. This Chargers team, who has shown to have a large heart all year, did not give up. They rallied in the bottom of the 7th, scoring four runs just like they had started the game. Tillman and Tiller continued to have a great day at the plate as their swings look to be finally coming together. The late rally wasn't enough however, and the Chargers would ultimately fall 12-9.

This was the last game for the Chargers before a week-off break thanks to spring break, but they'll be back in action just as strong as ever when they hit the road to face the conference-annually-greats King George Foxes.

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Chancellor Chargers

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Albemarle Patriots

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Chargers Roll Over 'Jackets, Back On Track

Varsity Girl's Soccer: James Monroe Yellow Jackets vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

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The Chancellor Chargers (2-5) broke a 5 game losing skid against the James Monroe Yellow Jackets Tuesday night, as Caedyn Berg's two goals helped the Chargers offense find an early pace en route to a comfortable 4-0 victory.

One minute into the game, the Chargers had plans to give an early message to the Yellow Jackets that their record wasn't an accurate portrayal of the team's strength. That message was a quick goal by Emily Brett, who had sprinted down the field and found herself alone with just the net and the goalie. Her goal put the 'Jackets in a hole early, and the Chargers never looked back.

The Chargers kept the ball in enemy territory for a majority of the game, as two freshman Dominique Cunningham and Hadleigh King showed great ball control. This is a great sign for the team, that was already young to start with but now with injuries is looking for the younger kids to step up.

The Chargers kept the pressure on for the entire half, and 17 minutes later it was one of the Chargers' main offensive forces Caedyn Berg scoring her first goal of the night. The Chargers played efficiently into halftime, and held a strong 2-0 lead.

Coming out of the half, the sprinklers came on in the Chargers goal. That didn't cool down the team at all however, as they kept the same offensive pace they had shown all game. Cunningham shot a majority of her 9 shots on goal tonight in the second half, and came very close on multiple occasions to getting her first Varsity goal.

Ten minutes into the second half, Berg found the net for her second goal of the night and making it back-to-back goals for herself. Berg's goal really helped separate the Chargers from the 'Jackets. The 'Jackets only managed two shots on goal all night, while the Chargers had a whopping 42 shots on goal. 

Ten minutes later, Emma Schramm found the net for the Charger's final goal of the net. She was assisted by Cunningham, who had just shot at the goal but it had unluckily bounced off the top bar of the goal. Thankfully, Schramm was right there for the kick-in and the Chargers would walk away as victors.

This win will help the Chargers as they go on spring break, and look to come back stronger then the first half and show their opponents the strong force they know they can be. Their next opponent will be King George, who will be a great test for the Chargers to prove themselves.

Chargers Stats

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Berghoff’s Early Goal Paves Way For Chargers

JV Girl's Soccer: James Monroe Yellow Jackets vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

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The Lady Chancellor Chargers (3-3) offense kept the James Monroe Yellow Jackets off balance all Tuesday afternoon. Celia Berghoff’s early goal was what gave the Chargers the 1-0 win. After that goal, the Chargers never allowed a Yellow Jacket shot on goal. The Yellow Jackets got plenty of work in her net as the Chargers offense never cooled down and kept a consistent press in Yellow Jacket territory all night.

Lost Opportunities Plague Chargers Against Rivals

Varsity Boys Soccer: Courtland Cougars vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

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On a cold, windy, Friday night the Chancellor Chargers (5-2) offense seemed to have all the offense. Despite that, the Courtland Cougars, who scored in the first ten minutes, were able to hold on and steal a win with a final score of 1-0.

Five minutes into the game, the Chargers gave up an early goal which has seemed to be the pattern this year. Kyle Moore had the side kick into the goal after a corner kick, and the Cougars were out to a quick lead. The Chargers, used to the situation, didn't let it hurt their pace of play.

The Chargers went on to keep the ball on their rivals grass for the majority of the half, and the majority of the game. A host of Chargers were able to get off shots on goal, especially Ruben Niamien, but nobody was able to ever find the net.

Going into halftime, the Chargers knew they'd have to keep up the same pace. The cold night wasn't kind, and the ball seemed to be flying the Cougars way whenever it went near the goal. The defense for the Cougars played spectacularly all night, making it consistently hard for the Chargers to find any success.

With under twenty minutes to play in the game, the Chargers kicked the offense up another gear. They got even more shots off goal, including one tap from Andres Correa that made it all the way to the goal post and just barely missed. Herson Benitez tried following it up by tapping it in, but the fast Cougars defense was able to swarm the ball helping them avoid a major bullet.

As the clock continued to tick down, the Chargers never quite found the net and were left empty handed. This the second loss on the year for the young team, putting them at 1-1 for conference play as well. They will be back at it against a strong James Monroe next Tuesday looking to improve their out of conference record.

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Chargers Settle Down, Shut 'Em Down

JV Boys Soccer: Courtland Cougars vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

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The Chancellor Chargers (4-2-1) were able to recover from an early goal by rivals Courtland Cougars to come back and win 2-1. Anderson Vasquez and D’Marco Cabrera both had goals for the Chargers, one in the first half and one in the second. Julian Barbosa, the Charger goalkeeper, battled through injury late in order to keep the Chargers win safe as well.

Pates' Huge Double Gives Chargers Extra Inning Victory

Varsity Baseball: Courtland Cougars vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

Wednesday night's meeting between two bitter rivals, the Chancellor Chargers (4-0) and Courtland Cougars, ended in amazing fashion. Jeffery Pates' huge double came in clutch, giving the Chargers their first conference win in the eighth inning 3-2.

Both teams in the first inning tried to get things started off on a high note, as they both were able to move runners over to third base. Neither team would score however, as the Chargers' Matt Zuna and the Cougars' Number 12 did some dancing early.

In the second inning, Zuna decided to help his own cause. With two outs, and another two runners in scoring position, Zuna smacked a single into the outfield giving himself some breathing room to work with on the mound. With that breathing room, he really started to find his groove and retire Cougars batters. Up until the fifth inning, Zuna recorded 8 strikeouts.

In the fourth inning the Chargers tried playing add on as Matt Morgan, who swung a hot bat all night, lined a triple into right field. A couple batters later, they tried bunting him home and weren't able to convert. That lost run would become costly later on.

In the 6th inning, Zuna started to show signs of struggle and gave up back to back walks which would end his impressive night. CJ Craft took over on the mound, and did everything he could. The Cougars dropped a bunt moving the runners into scoring position, and after a passed ball and a sac fly the game was suddenly tied.

The Chargers and Cougars became locked in a mini pitchers duel, as Number 1 for the Cougars retired Chargers batters easily and Craft showed the same efficiency. To end the top of the 7th, Craft recorded two strikeouts and Tyler Fisher helped out from behind the plate as he picked off a Cougar player at first base. The Chargers could feel the momentum on their side, but came up empty in the bottom half of the inning.

After another solid inning of work from Craft, the Chargers got to work in the bottom of the eighth. Craft led off with a single, and Zach Bochenec bunted him over to second. The Cougars intentionally walked Jordan Byrd to get to Jeffery Pates, and he made them pay. Pates wasted no time, and smacked a double into right field giving the Chargers an amazing walk off win. (Click here for a video of the walk off)

This win was huge for the Chargers, giving them their first conference win in one of the harder conferences in the area. They are still undefeated, and will look to stay hot when they travel to play the James Monroe Yellow Jackets next Tuesday.

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Chancellor Chargers

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Courtland Cougars

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Chargers Can't Find Pace In Tough Rivalry Race

Varsity Softball: Courtland Cougars vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

Wednesday afternoon never went the Chancellor Chargers (1-4) way, despite another heart-filled effort by the team. The Courtland Cougars took advantage of 5 early errors, and Cameron Buzzel tossed the complete game shutout. The Chargers are still looking for some answers defensively after a rough 9-0 loss.

The game got off to a hot start, as the Cougars Allison Simpson sent a rocket into the deep Chancellor outfield, where she then sprinted around the bases to leg out a lead-off inside the park home run. The Chargers gave up another hit, but pitcher Taylor Sullivan calmed down and limited the damage.

Buzzel took the mound in the bottom of that inning, popping her teammate’s catchers mitt with some heat as she retired the Chargers top of the lineup in a breeze.

The next couple of innings, it was all Cougars as they continued to hit what Sullivan was pitching. They weren’t just hitting it, but hitting it where all the holes seemed to be. The Chargers hit the ball maybe just as hard today, but luck never swung their way and the hard-hit-balls turned into hard-hit-outs.

The Chargers showed some life in the second and fifth innings, loading the bases in both of those innings but not quite being able to capitlize off the big opportunities. Buzzel kept cruising, showing great control after losing batters early in the count multiple times.

Lindsay Pett took over the pitching duties for the Chargers in the 4th inning, and she did wonderful during her first appearance on the mound. She kept the Cougars relatively quiet, and gave her defense plenty of chances for quick outs. The defense turned things around once again, making more plays especially in the outfield. Noelle Greenwood stabilized the defense, catching three outs. In the corners of the outfield Olivia Fisher and Sullivan kept the Cougars from finding the green grass.

In the sixth inning, the Chargers looked to replicate what they did to the Massaponax Panthers earlier in the week. Kenzie Coates got things started with a sharp hit to the left field fence that she legged out into a triple and set the Chargers up. Pett, looking to help her newly acquired cause on the mound, laid down a beautiful bunt that made a close play at home. The Cougars were able to get the out, and keep the shut out in tact.

As the game came to a close, the Chargers were never able to come back and the Cougars locked up the early conference win. The Chargers next contest will come next Tuesday as they look to get back on track against the James Monroe Yellow Jackets.

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Chancellor Chargers

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Courtland Cougars

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Rally Beats the Rain As Chargers Cruise

Varsity Baseball Capsule: Massaponax Chargers vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

The Chancellor Chargers (3-0) continued to swing hot bats on Monday night, as they easily put away the Massaponax Panthers. The Chargers put up 4 runs in the first inning thanks to timely hitting and a throwing miscue. For the next three innings the Panthers tried to claw their way back, making the game close with a score of 4-3. In the bottom of the fifth inning it was all the Chargers however, as they hit around the entire lineup and scored nine runs to shorten the game. Bryce Sheetz also pitched a solid 5 innings for the Chargers, to pad his stats on an already great start to the year on the mound. 

The Chargers next challenge will be this Thursday as the host rivals Courtland Cougars, which also kicks off conference play for them.

* - Due to the rain tonight, I was unable to keep stats for the game and apologize. 

Incredible Spirit Creates Close Loss For Chargers

Varsity Softball: Massaponax Panthers vs. Chancellor Chargers

By: Greg Wolfe

The Chancellor Chargers (1-4) had a rocky start to their Monday afternoon match-up with the Massaponax Panthers. Once the Chargers got settled in, they tried shifting the tides of the game and came up just short with a 9-8 loss to the Panthers.

In the first two innings, the game seemed to belong to the Panthers. They scored 4 runs off of the Chargers new starting pitcher Taylor Sullivan. The defense showed some struggles, with two errors leading to eventual runs. The Panthers pitcher, Number 12, picked up right where she left off last month against the Chargers and put down the first 8 batters she saw.

In the third inning, the Chargers showed a spark of dominance with a 1-2-3 defensive inning followed by their first hit of the game by Sullivan looking to help her own cause. The fourth inning was less friendly, as errors and walks haunted the Chargers and suddenly they were looking at an 8-0 deficit.

For most teams if they were down 8-0 with only one hit on the board, it would discourage them into a submissive loss. Not for the Chargers.

In the bottom of the 4th, the Chargers strung together three singles and their offense started to heat up. Junior Kenzie Coates struck one of those three singles into the outfield with the bases loaded, and the Chargers were on the board. Lindsay Pett also laid down a sacrifice bunt to pull their deficit down to just 5 runs.

The defense also started to click, and over the next three innings only 1 Panther would score as Sullivan really found her groove and got consistent outs. The outfield, which had a shaky start, didn't make another error and was virtually perfect for the rest of the game.

Sarah Tiller would walk with two outs in the 5th inning, and the Chargers didn't blink as they were able to squeeze in another run thanks to a wild pitch.

In the bottom of the final inning, down by 5, the Chargers showed no fear. Working off some errors from the Panthers this time, the Chargers offense started to really catch on fire.

With bases loaded, Kate Schwinn knocked the ball straight into the dirt in front of her but was able to leg out her way to first base safely after the Panthers pitcher failed to recognize the situation. Then Coates added another run batted in via a hit by pitch, while Pett had a two-run single to follow her. The Chargers had the winning run on second, but despite some hard hit balls weren't entirely able to secure the win.

It was a hard fought game for the Chargers that didn't exactly go their way, but it will go a long way for a team about to start conference play later this week when they host their rivals the Courtland Cougars.

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Chancellor Chargers

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Massaponax Panthers

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