Softball: Freshman Hits Game-Winner for Senior Night

On the night the Flint Hill softball team celebrated its seniors, freshmen stepped up in the bottom of the eighth for a 2-1 win over Potomac on Tuesday.

After two scoreless innings, the Huskies took a 1-0 lead on an RBI line drive single from freshman Monica Brendsel to score Brittany deCamp, also a freshman.

Pitcher Maggie Jardot, a senior, held the Panthers scoreless through six innings, but gave up an RBI double with one out in the top of the seventh to tie the game. She pitched eight strikeouts and gave up seven hits and two walks in eight innings of work. 

The bottom of the eighth inning started with freshman Michelle Abt reaching on an error. Brendsel followed with a single to left field, putting runners on first and second bases. Both runners advanced a base on a passed ball with freshman Emily Davine, pinch hitting, in the batter's box. With a 2-2 count and no outs, Davine hit a sacrifice fly to score Abt for the win. 

"Everyone on base, winning it for us, were freshmen," Jardot said. "... We have a really young team and they're going to be awesome over the next couple of years."

Jardot, on behalf of the other three seniors — Rachel Thompson, Michelle Webber and Nicole Freeman — expressed gratitude for the win on Senior Night regardless of which class was responsible.

"It meant a lot to win on Senior Night. Things have been hard without Coach Krug here," Jardot said, referring to Andy Krug's recent absence because of medical issues. "Things have been a little crazy and it meant a lot."

She also reminisced on her long softball career, which stretches back to when she was about 4 years old. Though she won't be playing competitively in college, she does hope to find a club team to stay connected to the sport.

"I'll be coming back here to visit, too," Jardot said. "There is a lot of real talent on this team. ... I do wish a little that I was younger and coming up with this group of girls just because I wish we had just a little more time to grow."

But the season isn't over yet. The Huskies will travel to Georgetown Visitation on Thursday for their first of three Independent School League matchups to end the season.