Just when it looked like The Woodlands was on the ropes, the Lady Highlanders found their footing and started throwing haymakers.
The Woodlands rallied from a five-run deficit to capture a 10-8 road victory over Oak Ridge on Tuesday evening in District 15-6A action. The win keeps the Lady Highlanders alone in second place in the league standings, just one game behind No. 5 state-ranked Klein Collins.
“We’re down a game to Collins, and everybody knows our situation, but our goals are still the same,” The Woodlands coach Tim Borths said. “We’re chasing a district championship, and as long as we win out, we can get a share of it. Those are still the goals that this team has, that these girls have, so every game is important. They have a lot they want to go out and prove and accomplish, so running the table on the second half of district play is big.”
The second meeting between The Woodlands and Oak Ridge was a far cry from the first. The Lady Highlanders took that game 10-0 in five innings in the season and district opener for both teams. This time around, the Lady War Eagles made it a battle and forced the visitors to fight from behind.
“I think it was just the experience,” Oak Ridge coach Stephani Rougeau said of the difference from Game 1 to Game 2. “You have to remember, our first game with The Woodlands was our first real game, so just going through tournament season, playing together for a month or so, helped us.”
The Lady War Eagles entered the night tied for third place with Klein Oak and Klein, which played each other on Tuesday. Klein emerged victorious, which put them alone in third place and leaves Oak Ridge and Klein Oak tied for fourth. Oak Ridge has games against both teams remaining.
“What I take away is that I know we’re still young,” Rougeau said. “ … We have a good foundation to build on, and we’re going to be somebody to be reckoned with.”
The Woodlands took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Haley Mountain delivered a two-run single. The Lady Highlanders would not remain on top for long, however, as Morgan Dutton hit a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the frame. Oak Ridge then took 3-2 lead as Brittany Cobb scored on a throwing error by the Lady Highlanders.
The Woodlands knotted the game in the top of the third as Skylar Stockton connected for a solo home run to right field. Oak Ridge fired back once again in the bottom of the frame, however, when Dutton gave her team a 5-3 lead with a two-run double to the right-center field gap. Dutton was the standout of the night for her team, going 2-for-2 with four RBIs. She was also intentionally walked twice.
The Lady War Eagles broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth as Morgan Brandon cleared the bases with a three-run double. That gave Oak Ridge the commanding 8-3 advantage.
The Woodlands refused to go down without a fight. The Lady Highlanders immediately responded by scoring seven runs in the top of the sixth inning. Mountain got things rolling with a two-run home run. Abby Jones followed with a run-scoring single. And then, the decisive swing — Stockton crushed her second home run of the game, this time a three-run shot that put her team ahead 9-8. Abbey Newlun capped the inning with a run-scoring double, adding some cushion to The Woodlands’ lead.
Stockton finished 2-for-2 with four RBIs, and Mountain went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the way at the plate for the Lady Highlanders.
“Our theme for the year is, ‘Whatever it takes,’ and they did a great job of not panicking,” Borths said. “The way that Morgan (Brandon) was pitching [for Oak Ridge], we scratched those three [runs] in the second and the third [innings], but she had done a really good job all night of keeping us off-balance. They came together in the huddle, and there were two choices — you can either fight or call it a night. They decided to fight and did a great job at the plate, made the adjustments they needed to make, and that was the difference.”
Avery Taylor battled in the circle all night for The Woodlands, allowing four earned runs over seven innings of work. She finished with 13 strikeouts and four walks. Taylor has carried the load for the team over the past three games with reigning All-Montgomery County Player of the Year Amanda Curran sidelined with an injury. Borths said the team hopes to have Curran back at some point this season, but he also credited Taylor with stepping up and delivering in big spots.
“Avery did a phenomenal job,” Borths said. “Our defense, we didn’t exactly back her up as well as we could have. She did what she needed to do to keep us in the game and put us in a position to win. Especially there after we took the lead, she did a great job of really locking in, making her pitches and hitting her spots, letting our defense do what they usually do to secure the win.”
The Woodlands plays host to College Park at 6:15 p.m. Friday. Oak Ridge will travel to play Klein Collins at the same time that night.
SOFTBALL: The Woodlands rallies for victory over Oak Ridge