By Angela Watts
Managing Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
** Look below the story to find a video player filled with 50 highlights from Friday’s Northern Region first-round meeting between the Bulldogs and the Patriots.
There is a reason why Westfield coach Dean Ferington says he makes his players practice bunting every single day in practice. And it came to light in the seventh inning of Friday’s Northern Region opener at Yorktown.
Holding a slim, one-run lead, the Bulldogs batted — well, bunted — their way through the lineup, scoring six runs to break open what proved a 10-3 victory over the host Patriots and advance to Monday’s quarterfinal round at Falls Church.
Westfield second baseman Susan Slusher led off the top half of the inning with a bunt single, and the rest of her teammates followed suit. Senior centerfielder Anna Munizza bunted, sophomore left fielder Kasey McMahon singled and sophomore right fielder Tara McCrone bunted again, all of which plated a run.
“Every single day we work on it,” Ferington said. “Every single day. And that seventh inning right there is why. It was perfect.”
Yorktown senior first baseman Lauren Wilson finally made a diving tag at home plate on yet another bunt by freshman designated player Jackie Martinez to halt the scoring streak. But three more Westfield players — junior first baseman Robyn Mendlow, senior catcher Elizabeth Jones and freshman shortstop Jess McNamara — connected with hits to add three more runs, including a towering triple to right field by McNamara, for the game’s final margin.
“We definitely fell into a bad draw having to play the Concorde District in the first round, not to mention one of their top teams,” Wilson said. “And Westfield did a great job; they played their hearts out. But the score certainly wasn’t indicative of the whole game. If you look at the first six innings you saw what Yorktown softball is about. We were right in this game. But in the seventh inning it fell apart, and that’s frustrating.
“We have a lot more potential than we showed and a lot more heart than we showed. But that’s just how it goes: Some games you win, some games you lose.”
Yorktown still has much to be proud of. The Patriots’ senior class — Wilson, National District Player of the Year Briana Hanafin, Leah Patterson, Sara Sims, Katie Sterling and Hope Wilkes — will go down as the winningest class in Yorktown history. The Patriots totaled 19 victories this season, a new school record.
And while Yorktown’s season ends, Westfield moves on to the quarterfinal round. The Bulldogs will face McLean, a 6-2 win over West Springfield in its first-round game, at 4 p.m. on Monday at Falls Church. The other three region quarterfinals will also be held at Falls Church on Memorial Day, with South County and Herndon squaring off at 11 a.m., Centreville/Washington-Lee and Langley/Lake Braddock winners meeting at 1 p.m. and the Stone Bridge/West Potomac and Robinson/Edison winners playing the nightcap at 6 p.m.
The semifinals of the Northern Region tournament will then shift to South County on Wednesday and the finals are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Yorktown.
“We just want to come out Monday and play like we did this game,” Westfield freshman third baseman Frankie Martinez said. “Just keep it going.”
Email: awatts@digitalsports.com
Westfield 220 000 6 — 10
Yorktown 010 200 0 — 3
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