Poor Weather Is Forcing Teams to Play Catch-Up

The recent spate of rainy weather, which rendered dampened softball fields unplayable throughout much of the area yesterday, might have a more prolonged effect on the postseason.

Even though Monday will mark one month since the first play date of the season, the draw for the Maryland region tournaments is just 2 1/2 weeks away, and some teams have played as few as five games. It could become a concern because state guidelines require teams to play a minimum of 14 games before the May 5 draw to qualify for one of the top four seeds in a region, and home-field advantage.

Each Maryland region tournament seeds the top four teams according to record, and then places all remaining teams into a random draw. Seeding determines home-field advantage in each round.

The softball state tournament committee will meet next Wednesday to determine whether the standards for seeding should be altered for this season, perhaps either eliminating or lowering the requirement. Committee chair Lynn Pitonzo said each region will have to assess its teams' collective situation to see if playing 14 games is possible.

"If a team has used every possible date, and has made an effort to try to play each game," Pitzono said, "I don't think [not playing the minimum 14 games] will be a problem [for seeding]. But if a team is sitting there at 4-0 and thinking that will get them seeded, that's not going to happen."

Thomas Delivers

Two-time All-Met pitcher-shortstop Kourtney Salvarola has been crucial to the rebirth of the softball program at Broadneck, which has won 20 games each of the past two seasons after never previously having a winning season.

That's why it was a little surprising that when the Bruins faced Anne Arundel County rival and two-time defending Maryland 4A champion Chesapeake last Thursday, Salvarola was not in the pitching circle. Instead, her classmate, junior Ashley Thomas, was there, and enjoyed a breakout game after playing in Salvarola's shadow the past two seasons.

Thomas, who shares both positions with Salvarola, belted a three-run homer in the first inning and then allowed just four hits to Chesapeake's dominant lineup as Broadneck won, 3-0. The No. 3 Bruins improved to 7-0; the fifth-ranked Cougars fell to 6-2.

It likely won't be the last time these two will meet. Each of the past two seasons, Broadneck has defeated Chesapeake in both the regular season and the county title game, only to fall to the Cougars in the 4A East Region final. . . .

Wootton has spent the past two seasons flirting with breaking into Montgomery County's elite, only to come up short of its first region title. The Patriots, though, might know in a week whether this can be the season they make their leap.

After winning its first six games, Wootton was scheduled to begin a 10-day stretch last night at Blair in which the Patriots will face six very tough opponents, including Sherwood, the two-time defending Maryland 4A West champion, and Damascus, winner of the past two 3A West titles.

Senior Andi Garnher, who has taken over the full pitching duties after sharing them last season, has been plenty tough, allowing just two earned runs in the first two games. Junior Rachel Laufer has batted over .500.