It was solid start for Goochland, but it did not last long. The Bulldogs – sitting one win away from a Group A tournament bid – took an early lead, but a rally in the second from Stuarts Draft put Goochland in over its head as the Cougars jumped out and front and stood there to win 7-2 in the Region B semifinals.
“We hit well, but we also hit well behind each other, even if that just meant putting the ball in play,” said Draft coach Michelle Kirby. “I give the credit to the girls, when another team does something like hit well to start, they don’t hang their heads and get down. They buckled down and get the next out.”
Jesse Leroy led off the bottom of the first with a single and Chakiryn Jackson had a single of her own to setup Jackie Tremain. The Goochland freshman then reached base on an error and that allowed both Bulldogs runners to score.
“We did well early, but then got into trouble pitching, leaving the ball too high,” said Bulldogs coach Amy Henneberger. “That’s just a great hitting team, even the bottom of their lineup was making really good contact.”
While Goochland put a lot of runners on base after that, Draft pitcher Lauren Campbell found a way to get out of each jam. Her team didn’t wait long to rally out in front.
The top of the second saw the Cougars score five runs thanks to three singles, two walks, a hit batter and a bases clearing double from Lois Carpenter. Draft added to its lead in the top of seventh on a leadoff inside the park home run from Kayla Shanks and Carpetner who reached base on a single and scored later on an error.
In between that, Goochland loaded the bases in the fifth, and put two runners in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh, but Campbell wiggled out of all three jams to preserve the win.
“Lauren does a fantasic job for us and we try and make sure nobody gets too used to what we’re doing,” Kirby said.
The loss ends Goochland’s season. The Bulldogs graduate just one senior and had 10 sophomores or freshman.
“Obviously it’s disappointing for our senior (Rachel Jones) that we couldn’t make states,” Henneberger said. “But we reached a lot of milestones this year by winning 20 games, the (regulars season James River District title) and so we’ve got nothing to be ashamed about.”
