The meandering journey down the paved walkway that leads to the softball diamond at Westfield High School is a familiar one for Courtney Bures.

Marvin Lowrance stepped into the left-handed batters’ box in the ninth inning with his team trailing by a run, needing to reach base and score to ensure at least extra innings.

When Bill Shields’ Haymarket squad takes the field Saturday in Fauquier, the manager feels it will be a new era in Senators history.

Manassas Park freshman Sharese Roberts won the 100, 200 and 400-meter dash at the recent Region B track meet to lead the Cougars to a fifth place finish in the girls’ competition.

Members of the Haymarket Senators team and coaching staff will be available for two meet-and-greet events this weekend.

After unleashing nearly everything in her bag of tricks — including a thrilling bicycle kick that nearly did the trick — to no avail in the first half, Woodbridge sophomore forward Kristen Lybert showed why she is one of the Vikings’ main offensive weapons Wednesday, scoring two goals in the second half of a 2-1 victory over the E.C. Glass Hilltoppers in the Northwest Regional semifinals.

Charlottesville’s Emily Perrin chased down a loose ball with just under three minutes to go in the first half of Wednesday’s Region II semifinal. Perrin, who was five yards ahead of the closest Brents-ville defender, fired a shot from the 19-yard marker that found it’s way into the left corner of the Brentsville net.

Prep scores and schedule

By virtue of a 3-1 road win over Colonial Forge Wednesday night in the Northwest Region Tournament semifinal, the Osbourn boys soccer team advanced to the state tournament for the first time in the program’s history.

Even as the ball hit by Lynchburg’s Brian Friday snuck underneath the glove of Potomac Nationals third baseman Matt Rogelstad to lead to two unearned runs, Potomac Nationals starting pitcher Jhonny Nunez could only refocus and continue to pitch.

After speaking to the whole team following Wednesday’s 6-4 Northwest Region semifinal loss to visiting Colonial Forge, Forest Park head baseball coach John Colantuoni pulled aside his nine seniors.

Brittany Black held destiny in the palm of her right hand Wednesday night.

Kristen Norkus never had a chance to move once the whistle blew.

Courtney Bures slipped past an advertising display at the Dulles Expo Chick-fil-A and settled casually into a chair next to pitcher Sarah Pauly.

Scott Betterly had a goal: pound fastballs on the outside of the plate. In doing so, he’d accomplish an even greater goal: Get his Brentsville teammates out of a potentially season-ending jam.

Regional playoff schedule

Here is today’s prep sports schedule

Woodbridge's boys' junior four and Forest Park's girls' junior quad saved their best results for last, with the girls winning a gold medal and the boys taking silver at the United States Rowing National Championships this past weekend in Oak Ridge, TN.

It did not matter to Alicia Field that Virginia Tech showed little interest in her as a softball player in the spring of 2007 even though she had expressed a desire to play for the Hokies.

Chris Marrero's long slump, a situation some of his teammates also found themselves in, may finally be over.

A look at the regional playoffs

Eagles beat Gar-Field in penalty kicks

Woodbridge girls top Riverbend

Baseball team wins 4-2

Right fielder scores two runs in Bobcats’ win over Woodbridge

Prospect hits two-run home run in Nats’ win

Good defense not enough for Bruins

Bobcats advance to region semis for first time in school history

Three early runs hold up for 4-1 win

Stewart’s flat tire gives Kahne the victory