By By GREG KATSKI
Staff Writer
VARINA, Va. — The Washington 12U team exercised some serious demons to win back-to-back games over cross-county rival Pitt County in the championship round of the Southeast Regional tournament on Sunday at Dorsey Park in Varina, Va.
Before Sunday’s games, Washington had lost three games to Pitt County in the span of 10 days, including a heartbreaking 3-1 loss in the winner’s bracket of the tournament on Saturday.
The loss forced Washington to the brink of elimination, but the all-stars regrouped for a rousing 6-2 win over Marshall County, Tenn. that advanced them to the final round.
The championship didn’t come easy, as Washington had to fend off a Pitt County rally in the bottom of the sixth in the second game of the day for the tournament win. Haley Hutchens held on for the 5-4 win after escaping a two-on, no-out jam in the inning.
Hutchens, who had six strikeouts and scattered seven hits, benefited from some early scoring by Washington.
Haley Wright got the first inning going with a single to right field. Adriana Tyson followed with a single to center, and Kelsey Lang knocked in Wright with another single. Tyson would eventually score on a wild pitch.
The all-stars came right back in the third with three runs.
The inning was sparked by Katie Dority, who reached first on an error. Dority moved to second on a single by Wright and scored on a Tyson single to center. Kaylee Jackson followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring Wright, before Lang got in on the action with an RBI double to center.
For the championship game, Lang went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and Tyson went 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
Lang provided a strong pitching performance in the first game of the day to propel Washington past Pitt County 5-1 and force an if-necessary game.
As the winning pitcher, Lang gave up five hits and had six strikeouts. She helped her own cause on offense, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Similar to the championship game, Washington scored three runs early.
In the first inning, Dority led off with an all-important walk. Tyson followed with a towering double off the left field wall, scoring Dority. Lang hit an RBI double to left-center before Haley Hutchens capped off the scoring with a triple to the warning track.
Washington added three more runs in the fifth. Once again, Dority started the inning with a drag-bunt single to get on base. Wright followed with a single to deep second, before both runners advanced on a passed ball. Tyson hit a sacrifice fly and Lang singled to left to score Wright.
“Without a doubt, these are the biggest wins in the history of Washington softball,” Greg Dority, president of the Washington Babe Ruth softball league, said after the tournament.
He commended the Washington fans for providing a “highly-charged atmosphere” on Sunday.
“The Washington fans made a big difference, with every player having at least one parent there in attendance,” Dority said. “The Washington crowd of 40 sounded like a couple hundred.”