Woodbridge softball nips Hylton
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By DAN CLENDANIEL
For the News & Messenger
Published: May 15, 2008
The Viking program has had few big moments since reaching the state Group AAA state finals in 1994. Woodbridge nonetheless yesterday played with a poise that belied their lack of big-game ex-perience.
The Vikings overcame an early two-run deficit to defeat the Bulldogs, 3-2.
Forest Park, Woodbridge and Hylton all entered the day tied for first place with two district losses.
Woodbridge improved to 8-2 in the Cardinal District and will meet Forest Park (also 8-2) on Monday at Potomac at 6 p.m. for the regular-season title.
Pitcher Colleen Williamson, who shut down Hylton over the final six innings, is one of two sen-iors on the Vikings’ squad and realized just how far her team has come.
“We only won two games when I was a freshman,” said Williamson, headed to Louisburg (NC) College next year.
Williamson scattered five hits and struck out five. She also blasted a triple the drove home Amanda Hernandez with the winning run in the sixth inning.
Hernandez had homered over the right field fence in the fourth inning and later singled in the sixth inning as Woodbridge came from behind for the win.
“Amanda has a lot of power and potential,” said Viking coach Colleen Kersey. “We’ve been working with her on being patient and letting the ball get to her.”
Hylton broke on top with a pair of runs in the first inning. Taylor Williams reached base on a bunt single and took second on a bunt by Tiffany Bingham. Heather Wood scored both runners with an opposite-field double to right.
But that ended Hylton’s scoring, although the Bulldogs got runners into scoring position two more times.
“They played a little better than us,” said Hylton coach Harry Bell. “We jumped on them early but didn’t take advantage of opportunities after that.”
Williamson, who is slated to primarily play third base in college, said, “My drop is usually my best pitch. It wasn’t working today but everything else was. I went to the curve and changeup to get the strikeouts.”
Trailing, 2-1, the Vikings’ Melissa Martinez opened the sixth inning with a single to left and took third on Hernandez’s liner along the right field line.
Martinez scored on a wild pitch. Hernandez took third on the play to set up Williamson’s game-winning triple to center field.
Woodbridge lost twice during the regular season to Forest Park by scores of 5-1 and 3-2.
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