CUMBERLAND — Northern scored six runs across the game’s first two innings, and it was all the Huskies needed.
In the season opener for both teams, Northern defeated Fort Hill, 6-1, at Washington Middle on Friday.
“I thought that my girls came ready to play,” Northern head coach Kadi Cosgrove said. “Rain (Ritchey) did an amazing job pitching. All of my freshmen stepped up and they made great plays and had good at-bats whenever it was needed.”
Lock Haven commit Demi Ross opened the hitting in the top of the first with a single on a ground ball to center field. She was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two stolen bases.
Bailey Champlin loaded the bases with a walk, then Ava Wilhelm scored two on a ground ball single past first base.
Champlin scored on a wild pitch to put the Huskies (1-0 Western Maryland Athletic Conference) ahead 4-0 after one.
“The first inning, we came out a little shaky,” Fort Hill head coach Jason McMahan said. “We got down 4-0, I think we had one or two errors. After the second inning, I felt we played very well.”
In the top of the second, Ritchey scored on another wild pitch before Champlin added a run on a sacrifice fly.
“Yesterday, we really worked at hitting in practice,” Cosgrove said. “We’re gonna keep working on our hitting, so that way if we make an error in the field, it doesn’t hurt us as bad.”
Taylor Wiseman doubled to center in the bottom of the seventh, setting up Nakiah Dunn for an RBI knock to prevent the shutout.
Wiseman had two of Fort Hill’s three hits.
“I thought she mixed it up well,” McMahan said of Ritchey. “I thought she had us confused early in the first couple innings. We tried to make the best adjustments we could, and we started putting the bat on the ball.”
After allowing six runs to start the game, Haley Metz settled in for the Sentinels (0-1 WestMAC).
She tossed five shutout innings to end the game and retired nine consecutive batters.
Metz stranded the bases loaded in the sixth before holding a runner at third to end the seventh.
Her final line was six earned runs on six hits and four walks with seven strikeouts, but she only allowed two hits and a walk after the second inning.
“I think it’s always a tough ask, first game of the season,” McMahan said. “Pitcher’s the hardest position on the team. She’s only a sophomore, so I think with every pitch and every game, she’ll not only get better, but she’ll be able to find that gear she needs to find.”
Ritchey only allowed three hits without any walks while punching out 14.
She also went 2 for 4 at the dish with a triple.
“She worked in the offseason the whole time,” Cosgrove said of Ritchey. “She has more confidence and she’s just ready to win out of the gate.”
The Sentinels host Clear Spring on Monday at 4:30 p.m. while the Huskies travel to Hancock on Wednesday at 4:45 p.m.
“I’m really happy that we did not quit,” McMahan said. “We’re down 6-0 in the second, a couple more we get out of here in five. That wasn’t the mentality. This is definitely a different mentality as far as teams from the past.”