EADES POWERS FRANKLIN TO BALTIMORE COUNTY CROWN

by Alejandro Danois

(video highlights here)

Jordan Eades struck out 11 as Franklin High remained unbeaten, defeating Western Tech, 2-0, to claim the Baltimore County softball championship at CCBC-Catonsville Wednesday afternoon.

“Jordan has several different pitches, more than four,” said Franklin coach Ed Lahay, whose team improved to 19-0. “Today, she wasn’t as consistent as she normally is. She’s got quite the arsenal and she’s able to put them in the spots that we ask her to put them in.”    

In the top of the seventh inning, the junior who started the contest with an eye-popping 0.42 earned run average and 182 strikeouts in 101 innings this year took the mound looking to put an exclamation point on a dominant pitching performance. But with two outs, the Wolverines’ sophomore Amanda Mittlesetter smashed a triple into the left field gap. Eades then hit junior Patrice Williams with a pitch that put Tech runners on the corners.

“All year long, the whole team has stepped up when we’ve needed to step up,” said Lahay. “I knew, even if they got one run in, they weren’t getting two.”

Eades quickly regrouped and struck out Stephanie Krug with the impressive velocity and movement on her pitches that stymied Western Tech throughout the game.

“I just went out there and did my best,” said Eades. “I had a great defense and offense with me and we just went out there and gave it our all.”

“When I was with her as a freshman, she was very hittable,” Lahay said of Eades. “The next year she showed that she could be one of the better pitchers and by far this year, she’s the best pitcher in the county.”

Sam Erbe also turned in a stellar pitching performance for Western Tech, who won the county title in 2006. The senior only gave up four hits through five innings of play. But Eades’ double in the bottom of the first scored what would prove to be the game’s winning run.

“Sam pitched a tough game,” said Wolverines coach Megan Bowes. “She threw hard and didn’t get rattled.”  

Eades, who also has a .603 batting average, went 2 for 3 with a RBI. King, also 2 for 3, scored Franklin’s second run in the bottom of the fourth inning. After her leadoff double, she stole third and then scored on a passed ball.

The Indians seemed poised to break the game open in the bottom of the sixth when they loaded the bases on three consecutive singles by junior Marisso Roman, Eades and senior Emily King. But Erbe pitched herself out of the jam by getting Tech’s next three batters out on infield pop ups.
    
“I figured it would be pretty tough,” Bowes said of the prospect of knocking off Franklin. “18-0 is a good record and it’s tough to win against a team that has that momentum coming in. Eades is an awesome pitcher and she’s going to carry them far in the playoffs.”

Franklin is looking to reach the Class 3A state championship round after losing to Northeast in last spring’s state semifinals. The Indians, seeded No. 1 in the 3A North Region bracket, will host either Patterson or Hereford in next week’s quarterfinals.
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“It’s been awesome this year and we’ve had a great season,” said Eades. “Our hitting has improved a lot and that was our weakness last year. That’ll help us moving forward.”

Baltimore County Softball Championship
At CCBC-Catonsville

Franklin 2, Western Tech 0

Western Tech        0  0  0  0  0  0  0  - 0  4  0
Franklin                  1  0  0  1  0  0  x  - 2  7  0
Erbe and Blackston; Eades and Snee. 2B: F-Eades, King. 3B: WT-Erbe, Mittlesetter