Towson, Perry Hall softball declared Baltimore County co-champions after game called
Towson and Perry Hall are declared Baltimore County co-champions after rain halts play in the fourth inning of the title game.
Towson and Perry Hall were crowned Baltimore County softball co-champions when heavy rain made the field at CCBC-Catonsville unplayable with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, and both teams were satisfied with the decision.
“This game we probably would have stayed close,” said Towson pitcher Jelena Gardner, who was on the mound when the game, which was 2-2 at the time, was called with two outs and a 3-2 count to Kam D’Amico. “[Co-champions] is cool because they are definitely from our area and we all kind of play together and we know each other. We are just having a lot of fun.”
The game was tied after Rileigh Kitchin doubled with one out and Amelia Kitchin drove her home with a double that one-hopped off the wall.
“The best thing to do in that situation is you just have to relax in there and not think and I can’t even tell you what I was thinking when I was up to bat because I was just focused on the pitch, you know, attack and that’s what happened,” said Amelia Kitchin, who didn’t notice the heavy rain had started. “I was just really locked in I guess.”
“She has been great all year and in that situation there, she had been slumping early in the season, so she has really come around and she has done a great job up to this point, and then to come in and pitch,” Perry Hall coach Denny Lee said.
In the bottom of the third inning with the Gators up 1-0, Kitchin relieved starter Jenna Neff after a leadoff double to Molly Mohr.
“To be honest, I did not know that was going to happen, neither did our other pitcher,” Kitchin said. “I guess our coaches decided on it, you know go through the lineup. I’ve already seen this team twice, but I’m glad I got to go in too.”
She allowed a single to Grace Hoey off the third base bag. A throw home kept Mohr from scoring but allowed Hoey to take second. Mohr scored on a wild pitch and Hoey came home with the go-ahead run on a bunt by cleanup hitter Olivia Felton.
“I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls. This is my first year here and they are doing the little things,” Towson coach Dan Sexton said. “My four batter bunted, it was a regular squeeze.”
Perry Hall took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a one-out bunt single by Savannah Carl and RBI double to right-center by Amber Deems. After a walk to Rileigh Kitchin, Gardner retired the next seven hitters with three strikeouts.
“The girls got hyped and my coach, he always gets hyped, so once they are excited, I’m excited too,” Gardner said. “Close game, there is definitely competition, so I’ve just got to work hard.”
Gardner pitched in the 4-2 loss and 15-3 win against Perry Hall during the regular season.
“She was rolling, she has been on it all year for us,” Sexton said. “She kept us in all these games.”
Towson (13-2-1), who earned a top seed and first-round bye in the Class 3A regional playoffs, will host the winner of Catonsville-Overlea in the second round of the regional playoffs.
Perry Hall (11-3-1), top seed in the 4A region, will host the winner of Western-Mervo in the second round.
Sexton has no problems coming into the playoffs as a co-champion.
“It was back and forth, they’ve got a good group of girls over there, a class act,” Sexton said. “We all want to win, but it’s not always about winning and losing. It’s life lessons too and the girls understand sometimes that kind of stuff happens.”
“You move on to regionals and you learn,” he added. “We played really well today, we were solid. They didn’t give us anything and the score was 2-2. That speaks for itself.”
Perry Hall 1001 — 2
Towson 002 —2
2B: PH: Amber Deems 1, Rileigh Kitchin 1, Amelia Kitchin 1; TOW: Molly Mohr 1.