Softball: Oakton Falls in District Semifinals

Despite a shutout on Thursday, the Cougars could not overcome errors and mental mistakes in their Concorde District semifinal game against Westfield. They lost 7-2.

The Cougars scored one run in the top of the first. Leadoff batter Emily Corridon started the game with a single. Her teammates followed her lead and hit two more singles to load the bases, then Hayley French hit a sacrifice fly to score Corridon.

Oakton would not score again until the sixth — Westfield throwing errors would allow Allison Davis to score make her way around the base path. But that one run was not enough to overcome the six-run deficit.

Ray Gordon, Oakton's head coach, said errors and mental mistakes kept the Cougars from staying competitive against the Bulldogs.

"We just made a couple crucial errors. We had five errors and probably five of their runs were unearned," Gordon said after the game. "We just gotta catch the ball and throw the ball well, then we could've had a chance."

Becky Cerva pitched for the Cougars, with Hayley French and Abby Mills serving as relief pitchers. Their typical starting pitcher, Allison Davis, woke up sore from her Thursday session on the mound, her first in weeks because of an injury.

"I didn't want to throw her two days in a row until she's 100 percent," Gordon said. "We pitched three different kids and they all pitched great, so we can't say Allison not pitching was the problem."

The Cougars have qualified for regionals and will play in the first round Friday.

Cris Cerva contributed to this report.