Youth Not a Problem for Potomac Falls

A year after finishing 8-11 overall and winning just four games in the Virginia AA Dulles District, Potomac Falls has become a league contender despite not having a single senior.

The Panthers (7-2, 5-1 entering last night's game against Heritage) have five freshmen, five sophomores and four juniors, but there has been enough talent and leadership among that group to make up for their youth. Most notable among those players is sophomore pitcher Heather Kiefer and junior catcher Courtney Sunderland, who have choreographed six shutouts together in the team's seven wins.

"They're pretty much the key to our offense and defense," Potomac Falls Coach Joe Pettit said, "although I've got a lot of young players this year and those girls are backing up Heather really well. We're making the plays we should make."

Kiefer has a 0.97 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 65 innings, while also batting .333 with seven RBI from the third spot in the lineup. Sunderland, who has been catching Kiefer since kindergarten and bats cleanup, has a .389 average with one homer and six RBI.

"She's definitely progressed a lot," Sunderland said of Kiefer, who also started as a freshman. "She's gotten better, not in the sense of her pitching skills, but in the sense that she knows when to call a pitch off or when she wants to throw a pitch she knows will work."

The Panthers, whose only district loss came in a 1-0 game on April 14 against second-ranked Broad Run, will face Loudoun County tonight.

Mathis Leads Blake

Meredith Mathis appeared at the first Blake practice before the season and quickly showed she deserved much of the time in the pitching circle. Shortly thereafter, Mathis also proved she can lead a team like few freshman can.

Entering last night's game at Paint Branch, Mathis used a five-pitch repertoire to strike out 92 and walk just eight to lead the Bengals to an 8-1 mark. She also is batting .500 to put Blake on the verge of breaking into the Montgomery County elite, a group that has pretty much consisted of just Damascus and Sherwood the past couple of seasons.

"We knew she was going to be a good pitcher, but we didn't know she'd be the leader she is," Blake Coach Jessica Garlick said. "If we're down, she's the one who takes the team on her shoulders. She's very mature for her age. She keeps her composure, and she doesn't let things bother her."

Blake has had a pair of solid victories this week, against Wootton and Clarksburg, but the Bengals are looking forward to Monday's game at Sherwood. Blake's lone loss was on March 25 to the Warriors, last year's Maryland 4A runners-up, 3-1. Since then, the Bengals have won six straight.

Tough Tests for 10-0 Rams

McDonough Coach Julie Snavely won't complain about her team's 10-0 record to start the season, but she and the Rams are eager to test themselves against No. 5 Northern and No. 9 Huntingtown, two of the most potent offenses in Maryland, in the two weeks before the state playoffs begin.

"Teams are only averaging about three or four balls in play against us now," Snavely said. "I want to see how my defense reacts when they get more than that in play."

Granted that assumes that the offensive juggernauts can solve Melanie Mitchell, the Rams' unquestioned leader and Southern Maryland's best shutdown pitcher.

In 69 innings, Mitchell has recorded 160 strikeouts, four no-hitters, one perfect game and walked just three.Staff Writer Katie Carrera contributed to this report.