Northern Captures Region Crown

When the Northern softball team moved its practice inside Friday because of the rain, Coach Robert Radford had a chance to look at the banners acknowledging every state and region title the school had ever won. The last date listed for softball was 2001, when Northern won its region.

But that drought ended yesterday as the Patriots defeated La Plata, 4-2, to claim its first 3A South Region title in seven years.

Northern (14-7) moves on to face Damascus in Tuesday's state semifinals.

"It's been a roller-coaster ride," said Radford, whose team defeated three-time defending 3A champion Huntingtown in Wednesday's Region semifinals. "We set high expectations at the beginning of the season and then we didn't meet those expectations. But in this last week or so we've come together and played really well. I think they've finally discovered what they're able to do."

After La Plata (14-7) snagged a 2-0 lead in the fourth, the Patriots responded instantly. Four of the first six Northern batters in the top of the fifth reached base -- all on doubles -- prompting a rapid rally as Chelsea Neimann, Kristin Schalk and Chelsea Stern all scored runs to give the Patriots a 3-2 lead.

Northern freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Schmeiser, and the Patriots defense were able to lock down after that, giving up only one hit to the Warriors in the final two innings. Schmeiser helped her own cause in the seventh when she tripled to right field and recorded her second RBI of the day.

McDonough's Mitchell Stars

Two years ago, when McDonough last faced Hammond in the 2A Region playoffs, Melanie Mitchell, then a freshman, hit a home run at the Golden Bears' field that sparked a Rams victory.

Yesterday, Mitchell put in a repeat performance and smacked a two-run homer to left field in the third inning that proved to be the only hit of the game as she and the Rams defeated 2007 state champion Hammond, 2-0, in the 2A South Region final.

"It's kind of amazing it happened like it did two years ago," McDonough Coach Julie Snavley said. "Both teams came in with the mentality that we were going to scratch and claw to get anyone on base."

It was McDonough's first regional title in 10 years.

Mitchell threw a no-hitter and struck out 16, outdueling Hammond pitcher and All-Met Stephanie Speierman. Only three batters reached base for the Golden Bears (17-4), one on an error and the other two were hit by pitches.

McDonough (17-5) plays either Century or Francis Scott Key in next week's state semifinals.

Chesapeake Grabs Title

For the second straight year, it didn't matter that Broadneck had defeated Chesapeake in the Anne Arundel County rivals' first two meetings of the season. The Cougars proved victorious in the third and final contest, snatching their third consecutive 4A East Region title with a 10-6 win over the Bruins yesterday.

Broadneck led 2-1 in the third inning when Chesapeake's Kelly Hickman hit her second home run in two games -- a three-run shot to left-center, giving the Cougars a spark and a lead that they built to 10-2 by the end of the fourth.

The Bruins threatened in the seventh when right fielder Corie Seitler hit a grand slam making the score 10-6, but Broadneck (18-3) proved unable to complete the comeback.