The girl’s varsity softball team marched on the field, invigorated by the radiant sunlight and an aspiration for revenge. The Rockets had scrimmaged Bethesda Chevy-Chase on the Barons’ home turf last month, but fell short of a victory. Now, with a thirst for vengeance and a half-season’s experience behind them, Richard Montgomery hosted their opponent in their own territory.
The Rockets aided their record with a 13-5 win over the Barons, returning the team to .500 and sitting at 4-4.
Freshman Maya Geer took the mound first to commence the game. While BCC’s offense placed the ball in play , the Rockets’ tight defense averted them from advancing around the bases. The Richard Montgomery infield shut down their competitor’s first 6 batters, including paramount put-outs by sophomore 3rd basemen Rachel Lebedinsky and senior shortstop Devon Goetz.
The Barons fought back in the field, preventing Richard Montgomery from proceeding past home plate. After being walked her first at bat, Goetz stole her way to third base and seated herself in scoring position. Sophomore outfielder Taylor Thomas was credited with the run batted in, and the Rockets were up 1-0 before returning to the field.
BCC bit back at the top of the 3rd inning, and the bases filled up quickly with the middle of the Barons’ line up. Freshman catcher Izzy Levine kept every pitch in front of her, and warded off runners even in scoring position. Fortunately, the Rockets limited them to only 3 runs, and took their turn at bat again after leaving their opponents’ baserunners behind in the dust.
The Barons increased their lead in the fourth inning, and Richard Montgomery was outscored 4-1. But with an enthusiastic crowd of parents, friends, and members of the junior varsity team present to support, the Rockets still had a lot of fight left in them.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Richard Montgomery entered an unstoppable hitting rally, driven by a cooperative effort and contributions from everyone. The batting spree was catalyzed with singles from Goetz, junior outfielder Sophia Pirozzi, and senior 2nd basemen Alison Berman.
The Rockets quickly closed the score gap between their competitors, but their offensive response didn’t end there. The collective barrage persisted with a double from junior outfielder Greta Ouimette, securing two more runs for the Rockets. Directly following, Lebedinsky swapped places with Ouimette on second base by hitting her home.
Richard Montgomery’s rally came to a suitable finish when Thomas put the ball in play again. BCC chased the runners with multiple miscalculated throws, but all four runners managed to escape and score at the plate safely. Thomas’s effort threw the Barons off balance, but the Rockets had still had to hold their ground and stay on their toes to finish the game.
After the fifth inning, the Rockets had totalled their lead to 13-4. With a comfortable score gap, the team sought to conclude the game with defensive outings.
The Barons made their last effort in the beginning of the seventh inning, but remained trailing by 8 runs. Sophomore pitcher Rosie Silvers gracefully took the pitcher’s mound and secured the victory for the Rockets.
Throughout the game, the dugout resonated with team camaraderie and never-ending encouragement. “I think that we did a really good job of picking ourselves up after a slow start,” explained Goetz. “We supported one another, and it was really impressive to be able to see that kind of maturity from a relatively young team.”
The Rockets redeemed themselves from their previous encounter with the Barons, reversing the outcome of the scrimmage in March. “I feel like our performance on the field reflected our want to prove ourselves again”, described Ouimette.
The Rockets hope to add on to their two-game momentum through next Tuesday, where they will challenge the Whitman Vikings at home.
