Nothern junior catcher Kristin Schalk scores in the third inning of the Patriots' 8-2 victory.
Damascus junior Alli Part with a fifth inning offering during the Hornets' 8-2 state semifinal loss.
By Robert Klemko
Amid the rabid screams of his overjoyed players, Northern coach Robert Radford tried to explain why his team was indisputably the loudest in all of Wednesday's state semifinal action.
The fourth-year coach has witnessed his Patriots transform from an unassuming, middling 10-6 Calvert county team, to the beast that is winners of nine of it's last ten including Wednesday's 8-2 victory over Damascus for a trip to the Maryland 3A title game.
“We picked up that right after our season was over and we started the regionals and we've come together as a team,” Radford said. “They've gotten loud and they’ve gotten supportive... you know when we're here, that's for sure.”
Damascus got an idea from the very beginning, when junior catcher Kristin Schalk's RBI single drove home junior first baseman Eileen Horsmon to put Northern up 1-0.
After adding a run in the third, Northern's Chelsea Stern stepped to the plate in the fifth with a runner in scoring position looking to bunt. A Damascus team unfamiliar with the Patriots leading slugger moved up in anticipation just before Stern smacked an RBI-triple deep to left to spark a five-run fifth inning. According to Radford, that was all part of the plan.
"We had talked about it early. The key with Chelsea is if we can get her to drop the ball down early and get the defense up cheating, then she can swing away and hit the ball," Radford said. "So we got them up cheating and she got a pitch after a good at-bat and hit it hard to left field, that's what we look to do."
On the defensive side, Northern's freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Schmeiser helped to stifle a Damascus team that had scored 25 runs in it's previous three games. Schmeiser struck out eight and allowed four hits while driving in two RBIs.
"We just didn't hit off [Schmeiser] in the beginning and if you don't put it in play you're not going to score," Damascus coach Barb King said. "We just did too little to late."
Northern's Schmeiser is one of three freshmen on a team that fields only three seniors. Radford said he was concerned with how his young team would handle the school’s first championship appearance since 2001. Northern will meet Atholton of Howard county in the 3A title Saturday at the University of Maryland.
"The University of Maryland is going to be a totally different stage and the stakes are a little bit higher, so I'm still going to be concerned," Radford said. "We're still young but what the hell, we're going to show up and give it a shot."
For Damascus, the loss marks the third time in four years the Hornets have reached at least the semifinal round and failed to take home a title. Seniors Amanda Ray, Amanda Nagy and junior Taylor Wyatt combined for 83 RBIs in the Hornets 17-3 finish.
"Amanda Ray and Nagy are both four year starters so this game meant a lot," Wyatt said. "They're going to be a big loss for next year. Both of them are irreplaceable."