Chargers Can't Contain Foxes In Rough Loss

Varsity Softball: Chancellor Chargers vs. King George Foxes

By: Greg Wolfe

Monday's match-up between the Chancellor Chargers (6-10) and King George Foxes was a rough one for the Chargers, as early missed opportunities let the game slip away as the top of the Foxes order did major damage in order to seal a 10-1 conference victory.

In the top of the first, The Foxes' pitcher Number 16 struck out two batters despite giving up a sharp single to Noelle Greenwood. Her scoreless frame would set up her team to take the lead later that inning and quickly.

The front of the Foxes' order (the 1-2-3 batters) went a combined 8-11 with 5 RBI's on the game. The Chargers starting pitcher, Lindsay Pett, didn't seem to have many problems with the rest of the order. In the bottom of the first though, the Foxes' Number 13 led off with a triple followed by her teammate Number 10's single. Both scored, but after that Pett shut things down and eventually struck out a batter to end the inning and keep the score at 2-0.

The second inning greatly contrasted the first, as all six batters who stepped up to bat were immediately retired by the opposing team's pitchers. Pett collected two more strikeouts, and Number 16 induced Sarah Tiller to hit into an inning-ending double play to erase Kenzie Coates' sharp single. The Chargers had two sharp hits in the first two innings, and nothing to show for it early on.

After Number 16 cruised again in the top of the third, the Foxes found home plate again as the first three batters in their lineup all made it on base, and two of them scored. The third batter, Number 16, was caught up in a rundown at the plate later that inning after a running miscue behind her. Tessa Dodson, playing an aware first base, was able to spot the mistake and help cut her down at the plate.

In the fourth inning, business was back to usual again for Pett who tossed a scoreless frame. The Foxes' Number 16 did the same, and the Chargers were looking for some momentum headed into the latter half of the game.

Coates would score the Chargers' lone run of the game in the fifth inning, after collecting her second single and eventually running her way around the bases until she was able to score on a throw down to second base while her teammate Dodson tried stealing. The Foxes escaped the Charger rally however, with a strike out and pick off at third base to erase Dodson.

After Pett tossed another scoreless inning in the fifth, her recently-recovered teammate Haley McDaniel did all she could to try and help the effort. In her first start after a leg injury earlier in the season, McDaniel started off slow with a strikeout in her first at bat but in her second at bat showed no rust as she bunt-singled her way on and proceeded to steal second base and take third on a fielder's choice. The Chargers' were unable to score her, unfortunately.

The bottom of that inning showed McDaniel knocking some more rust off, as Pett was pulled after struggling a bit. She struck out the first batter she faced, and minimized the damage in her short inning of work. After that, the Chargers were unable to overcome a 10-1 deficit, as the Foxes were able to walk away with a late-season conference victory.

Both teams will see each other again on Wednesday, but before that the Chargers will have Senior Night on Tuesday at home as they look to get revenge against the Spotsylvania Knights who beat them in 11 innings earlier this year.

Stat Section

Chancellor Chargers

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King George Foxes

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