By Angela Watts
Managing Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
** Check below the story for dozens of video highlights from Thursday’s game. **
Langley senior center fielder Lindsay Brown says she has total confidence in her younger sister, sophomore Brooke Brown, when she’s in the pitching circle.
Brooke says the same about Lindsay when she’s in the batting circle.
And after Thursday’s 9-6 victory over host Madison it was readily apparent that both have very good reason to be assured.
Brooke Brown entered the game in relief of sophomore Shannon Engel in the sixth inning and held host Madison scoreless through four innings of work, including working out of a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the seventh with no outs.
If the Warhawks (9-2 overall, 3-1 Liberty District) had managed a run there, it would have ended the game in seven innings.
“Obviously if we would have scored a run with the bases loaded and no outs it would have been a different ballgame,” Madison Coach Wayne Martin said. “But still, it was a great game. Our games with Langley are always tough. So it’ll be another battle the next time we play, and then we’ll probably see them in Districts also. So there is a lot of softball ahead for both of us.”
There were two extra innings in this game as well, and it was Lindsay Brown who got to play the role of hero. The senior blasted a two-run, home run over the left-center field fence in the top of the ninth inning to break open the tie and give the the Saxons (9-1, 4-0) an 8-6 advantage.
Langley’s next batter, senior third baseman Jam Mowery, followed suit, blasting a solo shot over the same part of the fence to provide the game’s final margin.
“In most of our close wins this year we’ve had to come from behind … so the girls don’t get rattled,” Langley Coach Bob Morrow said. “And the big thing is, I think we’ve got nine kids in the lineup who can hit, so we don’t have to have our No. 3-4 hitters up there. We’ve got a lot of kids who can hit the ball.”
That was true of both teams. There were four home runs hit during the game. Madison sophomore second baseman Kaila Conlon‘s two-run, fifth-inning shot over the left field fence was followed by a three-run, game-tying bomb over the centerfield fence by Langley senior first baseman Kim McMasters that knotted the score at 6 in the top of the seventh inning.
“In games like this you’re so tense and focused the whole time,” Lindsay Brown said. “It’s not until after the final out that you can just relax and enjoy it … but it feels great.”
Email: awatts@digitalsports.com
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