By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

When it looked like she wasn’t going to be able to play softball her senior year, Megan Alexander took drastic measures.

Alexander transferred from her small religious school, Covenant Life in Gaithersburg, to Damascus. It meant she would have to take independent classes just to graduate in time with a class of near strangers and perhaps most importantly assimilate into an already outstanding softball team as the pitcher, the player in the spotlight.

Making friends has not been a problem, however, especially after performances like the one she had Friday. Alexander threw a three-hit seven-inning shutout with 12 strikeouts to beat Sherwood, 3-0, in a battle of Montgomery County unbeatens.

“It’s what I knew I needed to do,” Alexander said of coming to Damascus.

It was the end of February when Alexander and her father and coach, Duane, faced the real possibility that Covenant Life may not have enough players to field a team. Only six girls were on the team when Alexander, after much thought, discussion and prayer, made the decision to leave for the public school only a mile away.

“Everybody knows Damascus is a softball powerhouse,” said Alexander, who is planning on playing with her older sister at Bowie State next year. “It’s a softball players’ dream to come here – at least my dream. It ended up getting fulfilled.”

Damascus (9-0) was already primed for another solid season this year. The Hornets reached the state semifinals last year and were returning pitcher Alli Part along with most of its bats.

Getting Alexander was seen as a bonus. But there was also concern in Coach Barb King’s when she got her first transfer in 21 years.

“You don’t know how it’s going to fit,” King said. “You don’t know how the kids are going to accept it. But it was a pleasant surprise. … She’s a very good kid, a very good person, and she fits right in with the girls.”

Damascus’ hitters gave their pitcher some cushion Friday, scoring two runs in the first inning by capitalizing on Sherwood’s errors.

The speedy Stephanie Hudlow reached on an error to lead off the game and scored on an RBI single by senior shortstop Taylor Wyatt. Wyatt moved from first to third on two passed balls and scored on a fielder’s choice ground out.

Wyatt notched a second RBI in the third inning on a ground out that scored Cassie Clayborne, who stretched an infield single into a triple on a throwing error.

Alexander struck out every Warrior except one. Sherwood (8-1), who reached the 4A state finals last year and had allowed just two runs all season thus far, applied some pressure in the seventh inning by putting starting pitcher Erin McMakin and catcher Kristen Holonich on first and third.

Alexander responded by striking out the final batter of the game.