Hutchinson, Rockets hold on in the seventh for win

 By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

Richard Montgomery junior pitcher Kristen Hutchinson was literally shaking on the mound.

Despite a four-run lead entering the bottom of the seventh, she couldn’t help but think back to when the Rockets melted down in a loss to Blair in their season opener.

“It came back in my mind cause it was kind of the same situation -- end of the game, they’re getting runners on, they’re scoring,” Hutchinson said.

But this time, Hutchinson and the Rockets bore down and closed out Gaithersburg for a 6-4 victory Wednesday afternoon.

It’s the first time that Richard Montgomery has beaten Gaithersburg in at least the past three years. It's also a bit of revenge for the Rockets after the Trojans knocked them out of last year’s playoffs in the 4A West region semifinals.

“Just the thought of losing it after being ahead the whole time got to me a little bit,” said Hutchinson, who struck out 12 batters and allowed just four hits. “But I just focused and pulled through.”

Richard Montgomery (3-1) entered the game knowing that just one bad inning was the only reason they aren’t undefeated. The Rockets took a 2-1 lead into the sixth against Blair in their season opener but committed several errors and surrendered five runs in the inning for a 6-2 loss.

Thursday seemed like it could have been a repeat, only on a larger and thus more painful scale.

Richard Montgomery had built a 6-0 lead heading into the sixth inning -- scoring two runs in each the first, third and sixth innings -- but Gaithersburg (3-2) responded with a pair of runs on a bunt by Jessie Harding in the bottom of the sixth.

Hutchinson lobbied to stay in the game but walked the bases loaded with nobody out. She said she knew she couldn’t allow herself to walk in a run so she focused on just the catcher.

She got a big strikeout of Gaithersburg hurler Julie Hance for the first out. Then Trojans catcher Colleen Everett followed with a two-RBI single, pulling the Trojans to within two runs with runners on second and first.

Hutchinson gained her composure and got Devin O’Neill to ground out to second base and recorded the final out on a come-backer to the mound that she whipped over to first base.

Disaster averted.

“As soon as she hit it, ‘I was like don’t miss it. Don’t overthrow,’” Hutchinson said of the final out. “I was so relieved when she caught it.”

Richard Montgomery was also bailed out by a running catch by sophomore left fielder Katie Jordan in the sixth inning. Gaithersburg had a runner on third base when Jordan leaned over to catch a high fly ball.

“I didn’t track it well and I knew I had to catch it,” Jordan said. “I didn’t think I caught it at first, but I got it.”

Gaithersburg is still trying to find its bats from last season. The Trojans returned three-fourths of a team that batted .348 with 16 home runs and reached the 4A West region finals.

Gaithersburg has thus far relied on Hance, who hadn’t surrendered an earned run until Wednesday. Hance, like the rest of the Trojans, got stronger as the game went on. She struck out eight batters.

“I feel better about today’s game than yesterday and we won 6-0. It really showed our growth,” Gaithersburg Coach Don Dillingham said. “We could be a very very good team. We’re an okay team right now.”