State title bid stops in semis

By: Staff | Orange County Review
Published: June 11, 2009

It was a tough day for the seniors on the Orange County High School varsity softball team. They missed graduation and they lost in the State AA semifinals.
After winning their state quarterfinal game 2-0 against Poquoson last Tuesday, the Hornets earned a rematch with the Broad Run Spartans who beat Orange 2-1 in the Region II finals.
Originally, the Hornets were scheduled to play Friday morning, but heavy rain and a soggy field forced the game to Saturday morning before it was pushed back further to 4 p.m.
Ultimately, it didn't matter as the Hornets could get little going against Spartans pitcher Judy Betz and lost to Broad Run again, this time 2-0.
Betz held the Hornets to just three hits, striking out 14.
The Hornets' best scoring chance came in the third inning when Micalah Sacre doubled with two outs.
She reached third on a steal and Paige Pritchett walked but Betz struck out Heather Jenkins to quell the threat. The Hornets only mustered five baserunners all afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Spartans had trouble at the plate as well.
Sacre limited the Spartans to just two hits, but gave up two runs in the sixth on an error, a walk and a single. It was the only run the Spartans, who beat Tunstall 2-1 in 11 innings the next day to win their third straight state title, would need.
Sacre, a sophomore, struck out nine in the loss.
Saturday's state semifinal loss was the deepest state tournament run the Hornets have made since they won the second of their back-to-back state titles in 1999.