Softball: Cougars Kick Off District Play With Win

Having not played a game since March 28, the Oakton Cougars started Monday's game against the Herndon Hornets a little rusty, but still prevailed with a 6-2 win to start Concorde District play and improve their record to 2-2.

The Hornets led quickly, scoring two runs in the first inning. Though the Cougars would threaten in the bottom of the first, they would not make their comeback until the third inning.

Ray Gordon, Oakton's head coach, attributed it to nerves and inexperience.

"We're such a young team, with three starting freshman and no starting seniors," he said. "We're so young that I think a lot of the girls still get really nervous about playing varsity softball. They don't really know if they belong. But we gotta get over that. A really good team will bury us in the first inning if we can't."

Emily Corridon, center fielder, led off the third with a single on a slow grounder to second base. She outran the throw and started a rally that would result in six hits — five in succession — and three runs.

Solid hitting and aggressive base running defined the inning, with Corridon and shortstop Emily Krisanda, who hit a single to right field after Corridon's hit, advancing to third and second base on a high pitch over Hornets catcher Morgan Fries' head that bounced off the backstop quickly enough that any hesitation from Corridon or Krisanda would have resulted in an out.

And it paid off. Pitcher Allison Davis hit a double to left field, hard enough to score Corridon but shallow enough to keep Krisanda at third. Catcher Mandy Krage's single to right field then scored Krisanda and advanced Davis to third.

The Cougars then put forth a successful squeeze bunt, at the bat of first baseman Hayley French, who arrived safely to first and brought in Davis to score what would be the winning run.

"We want to really push the envelopes when it comes to the base paths," Gordon said. "Chris Corridon [third base coach] really goes for that, and I think it's going to pay off. I'm sure it'll get us in trouble sometimes, too, but we're going to be very aggressive."

The Hornets never threatened a comeback, so the Cougars sailed smoothly through the last three-and-a-half innings, scoring three more runs thanks to a throwing error in the fourth and a two-run home run from Krisanda in the sixth.

Corridon, a junior, led the team in hits with three, but found a way on base for all four at-bats when her last trip to the batter's box resulted in a fielder's choice to land her safely at first. In all four trips through the base path, she never once stayed tied to first.

"Emily [Corridon] is the key to our team," Gordon said. "When Emily plays well, the team follows. She is the switch for us. She's a high-energy kid, and a lot of girls feed of her."

Davis pitched seven innings for 10 strikeouts and four hits.