FROSTBURG — Mountain Ridge created scoring opportunities in the middle innings, and took advantage on Friday.
The Miners (7-8 overall, 2-3 Western Maryland Athletic Conference) scored nine runs across the fourth and fifth innings to upset No. 5 Fort Hill, 10-6.
“It was a good game,” Mountain Ridge manager Kim Jackson said. “Every one of our kids contributed. That’s kinda what we’ve been waiting on all year is for these kids to contribute at one time and play the way they can play.”
Trailing 2-1 mid fourth, Anne Baker singled and Juliana Burris doubled to put two runners on to open the frame.
After a groundout evened the score, a chopper to third put the runner in a rundown.
She returned to third base, setting up Destinee Johnson for a two-run double down the right field line.
An error in the top of the fifth got the Sentinels (9-6, 3-5 WestMAC) within 4-3.
“I think timely hitting again,” Fort Hill skipper Jason McMahan said. “We left bases loaded in the third, two in the fourth, bases loaded in the fifth and again in the seventh. We struggled a little bit to adjust to the pitching. By the time we adjusted, we started making contact, but we were hitting right to gloves.”
In the bottom half, Mountain Ridge scored a touchdown with six runs off four hits, two walks and two errors.
“Over the last three or four games, our kids have just been hitting the ball,” Jackson said. “I think they finally saw mismatches and got on to what she was throwing and put the ball in play.”
Burris hit a two-run single while Macy Barth added an RBI knock later in the frame.
Barth led the Miners, going 3 for 3 with a run driven in, a walk and a stolen base.
Baker and Burris each had two hits with Burris adding two RBIs.
Three runs scored off errors on consecutive plays that extended the Miner lead to 10-3.
“The fifth inning’s usually our achilles heal,” McMahan said. “I think they started hitting and they found some gaps. In the seventh, we left bases loaded. We scored a couple but we got a little too far behind at that point. But we still fought all the way till the end, so I’m always gonna be proud of my players.”
Fort Hill scored three in the seventh on a Summer Welsh single, an error and sacrifice fly.
Welsh and Haley Metz each had three hits for the Sentinels with Welsh adding a pair of RBIs.
“I think we got on with all the baserunners that we left on,” McMahan said. “We got on fine, it’s just finding that key hit. That double or single that can score two or three. They scored six in the fifth and they had timely hitting. Baserunners on and they got the hit they needed to score runs. Unfortunately for us, we didn’t.”
Mountain Ridge opened the scoring in the first on a sacrifice fly.
The Sentinels scored in the third on a Welsh knock and an error in the fourth.
Burris threw a complete game, allowing one earned run on 14 hits and three walks.
She stranded nine runners on base including the bases loaded in the third and two on in the fifth and seventh.
“Getting the timely ground ball when we needed it to the shortstop,” Jackson said of his starter’s ability to escape jams. “Getting the outs when we had to have them there in the last inning. She’s been pitching well and I have confidence in her when she goes out there.”
Metz took the loss, charged with six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
Mountain Ridge heads to Southern (5-8, 0-5 WestMAC) while Fort Hill hosts Smithsburg.
“They were very active today,” Jackson said. “They had some incentive to play today. We’ve won three games in a row, so they’ve came feeling like they can play with anybody. I think once they get started, it kinda snowballs and everybody starts doing it.”