Howard pounces on Marriotts Ridge
Lions take upper hand in Howard softball showdown; Broadneck rolls in baseball
Before the season, Howard softball coach Chuck Rice crowned Marriotts Ridge the definitive preseason favorites to win the Howard County title.
The No. 6 Mustangs have the perfect mix of senior leadership at key positions, an ace in Mikayla Barnard and a lineup that can hit one through nine, Rice said. His team’s youth would have a hard time competing against a team like that.
But Rice’s squad had something to say about that on Wednesday when the teams squared off for their first of two meetings this season. Freshman Samantha Hobert pitched a complete game and held the Mustangs’ lineup in check, while No. 8 Howard’s offense exploded down the stretch to lead the visiting Lions to a 9-5 victory in nine innings.
The defending Howard County champion Lions remain undefeated in the league at 5-0 and improved to 5-1 overall. Marriotts Ridge (2-1, 2-1), playing in its first game in six days, lost for the first time.
“We grinded it out. The girls didn’t give up,” Rice said.
Hobert allowed just four hits and five runs while striking out eight in nine innings, Broadneck's Ethan Soto, center, is congratulated by teammates Thomas Coble, left, and Nick Gatton, after scoring in the first inning of the Bruins’ 16-4 win over Annapolis. and her only real trouble came in the sixth inning. She walked three, including one with the bases loaded, and hit another batter, and Marriotts Ridge tied the game at four after Samantha Miller’s two-RBI single up the middle.
But Hobert, who had perfect innings in the fourth and fifth, settled in after that and faced the minimum in her last 31⁄ innings.
NO. 10 NORTHEST 6, GLEN BURNIE 2: Winning pitcher Jenna Matulonis (3-0) went six innings and struck out six and the host Eagles (3-2) beat the Gophers (1-4). Northeast turned two double plays.
Baseball
BROADNECK 16, ANNAPOLIS 4: Dylan Tenney went 4-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead the visiting Bruins (5-2) past the Panthers (1-2). Broadneck scored six runs isn the seventh inning.
Boys lacrosse
NO. 9 SEVERNA PARK 16, CHESAPEAKE-AA 4: Dylan Wolfe and Thomas Bullen scored two goals each, but the Cougars (3-2) fell to the Falcons (3-1). Severna Park scored eight goals in the first quarter.
BROADNECK 6, C. MILTON WRIGHT 5: Keegan Houser scored three goals to lead the Bruins (3-2) past the host Mustangs (2-3).
Girls lacrosse
NO. 1 MCDONOGH 13, NO. 14 ST. PAUL’S 9: Maryland-bound Julia Hoffman scored five goals, three in the second half, to lead the host Eagles (7-0, 4-0 Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference) past the Gators (2-1, 2-1).
McDonogh took a 3-0 lead in the first 1:08 and led 8-4 at the half. St. Paul’s came within three goals of the Eagles three times in the second half, but got no closer.
NO. 8 BRYN MAWR 12, SEVERN 9: Alex Marino scored five goals and Olivia Rubin had four goals to lead the host Mawrtians (6-0, 5-0 IAAM A Conference) past the Admirals (3-5, 1-2).
GARDEN CITY (N.Y.) 14, ST. MARY’S 7: The loss ended a four-game winning streak by the host Saints (4-2). The Trojans improved to 3-1.