Softball: Knights look to make history by going to where they haven't been

By Ben Spector
Winning After MidKnight

                       

The Middletown High School Knights Softball team was confident and with good reason they should’ve been as they had just navigated through one of the toughest sections in the state and were now headed into the regional final round of the 2014 Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (M.P.S.S.A.A.) 2A Softball Tournament with a large amount of momentum.

Standing in their way where the South Carroll High School Cavaliers but the Knights were rather confident considering not only had they came out of a tough section but the Knights offense was in full swing and there didn’t seem like there was anyone within the region that could stop them.

The Cavaliers, though, were up to the Knights challenge and an offense for the Knights that had been steam-rolling right along hit the wall hard as the Cavaliers to pitcher held the Knights in check and prevented a 7-inning rally handing the Knights a 2-0 loss.

With, a large contingent of seniors on this year’s team the Knights loss to the Cavaliers was a sore point to many on the team who witnessed team who witnessed the Knights loss first hand and the beginning of a mentality that the Knights would not only get back to where they were last year but go past that point.

The Knights will have that chance when they take on the Liberty High School Lions at Liberty High School at 4:30 p.m. on Friday May 15^th, when the Lions and the Knights square off in the regional final round of the 2015 M.P.S.S.A.A. 2A Softball tournament.

The Knights have followed an almost exact path as they did last year finishing with a good enough record to snatch the #1 seed in Section 1 of the 2A West Region. They would then take down the #4 seeded Boonsboro High School Warriors by a score of 11-3 in the sectional semifinal.

In the next game, the Knights would face a common opponent, the #2 seed Catoctin High School Cougars in the sectional final. After, falling down 1-0 early in the game the Knights would hold the Cougars in place offensively but without scoring any of their own runs to get back in the game.

The Knights headed to the bottom of the 6^th inning with only 2 more at-bats left and needing just 1 run to tie the game up and just 2 runs to take the lead. The Knights would do one better with a three-run, bases-loaded double off the bat off Middletown senior Shannon Harman giving the Knights the lead, one from which the Knights would never look back from.

The Knights would secure three outs in the top of the 7^th inning giving them the sectional title, eliminating the Cougars for the 2^nd time in the past 2 years, and advancing to where the Knights had set their goals for the whole season.

It has been a long time since Middletown High School won a region title for softball so a win tonight would not only mean redemption for the members of the senior class but a little bit of redemption for all the Knights alumni who have fallen short since 2005, the last time the Knights won the regional championship.

Standing in the Knights way is a Lions team that has done like the Cavaliers team did last year and have their way with a large number of Carroll County opponents who just do not match up to them.

Like the Knights, the Lions were given a #1 seed overall in Section II of the 2A West region meaning that they had a bye for the sectional quarterfinal round. In the sectional semifinal round the Lions easily dispatched of the Francis Scott Key High school Eagles by a score of 10-5 and then, in the sectional final round, the Lions easily handled the Century High School Knights by a score of 10-4 to reach the regional final round.

The Knights, feel confident coming into this game including the fact that they have been successful against Carroll County teams in the past, with one glaring exception, and have confidence that they can get to the point that they have been shooting for since February 28^th.