By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

As Paul VI coach E.J. Thomas watched his team score no runs through the first four innings of Tuesday’s quarterfinals game against No. 8-seeded Bishop McNamara, he nervously thought back to his first year as coach of the Panthers.

That year, in 1999, No. 7-seeded Paul VI knocked off second-seeded Pallotti, then the No. 3 seed before playing O’Connell in the WCAC championships. But Thomas opted to remain calm, trying not to worry his girls.

Eventually, Paul VI busted loose, knocking in four runs in the fifth inning to beat the pesky Mustangs, 4-0, in Fairfax.

“They hung in there and nobody got upset and they bided their time and then took over,” Thomas said of his girls. “They came in with nothing to lose and no expectation to do anything. It’s nerve-wracking because you know the longer you let a team stay in a game the more confidence they get and the tighter you get.”
Paul Vi senior pitcher and WCAC player of the year Julia Moore tossed her seventh no-hitter of the season while striking out 18 batters. Moore allowed just three base runners the entire game. McNamara conversely started a pitcher that was tossing slow pitches over the plate, affecting the Panthers’ timing.

She got support starting with Anna Kvartunas, who lead off the fifth inning with a single. Megan Calabrese followed with a walk and Kat Naylor all but finished the game with a three-run over-the-fence home run.

Paul VI will now face Elizabeth Seton in the WCAC semifinals in Fairfax on Thursday.


O’Connell 6, Holy Cross 0

Colleen Carty looked the sharpest she has all season in the eyes of O’Connell coach Tom Orndorff as the senior tossed a complete game shutout while striking out 14 batters.

O’Connell’s offense gave her enough run support as the Knights beat Holy Cross, 6-0, in their first playoff game in defense of last year’s WCAC title. O’Connell scored one run in the first, two in the third, one in the fifth and two in the sixth to put the game away.

Orndorff didn’t feel comfortable until Maria Zavala’s run-scoring single in the fifth inning gave his team a 4-0 lead. Sarah Eidt, who went 3-for-4, knocked in another run with a double in the sixth and Devin Metcalfe followed with an RBI triple.

“I have a lot of confidence with her on the mound,” Orndorff said of Carty. “She throws the ball hard. When she’s on she’s tough. We’ve just got to score some runs for her.”


St. Mary's Ryken, Bishop Ireton

The Cardinals bus got stuck in a traffic jam and did not make it to Leonardtown for yesterday's game. The game will be played Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at St. Mary's Ryken.