Bulldogs knock Gaels off throne

Chris Humphreys
Published: May 10, 2008

t was a rocky first inning in the Blue Ridge Conference softball tournament championship game for Liberty Christian Academy against eight-time defending champ Holy Cross, but the Bulldogs rebounded behind the brilliant effort of freshman starting pitcher Killian Harrison to claim the Blue Ridge title with a 6-2 victory.

“I very proud of them it’s the first time in eight years we’ve won the Blue Ridge,” LCA coach Maitlin Wade said. “I’m happy for the girls and happy to have played someone as competitive as Holy Cross. They always make a good game out it.”

Both teams have already secured a spot in their respective Virginia Independent Schools state tournaments.

The Bulldogs will likely host a VIS Division I first round game on Tuesday. The Gaels will likely hit the road Tuesday for their Division III first round game.

“My kids played hard we just fell a little short,” said Holy Cross coach Kenny Brown. “Congratulations to LCA. We are still on that quest for a state championship. We still got three more games and I think we’ve got a team that can bring home a championship.”

LCA stumbled out of the gate with two errors and a wild pitch that led to the Gaels scoring a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first.

Samantha Thacker led off and reached safely when Bulldogs first baseman Katelyn Hatcher couldn’t handle second baseman Stephanie Eubanks’ throw.

After a strikeout, Taylor Thomas drew a walk, advancing Thacker to second base. Kaity Harrison, Killian’s older sister, reached on a fielder choice as Thacker was tagged out going to third.

Thomas and Kaity moved up to second and third on a double steal and Thomas scored on a wild pitch.

Kaity followed Thomas home when the throw from Bulldogs’ catcher Felice Lowery to Killian, who was covering the plate, got away.

“I was a nervous wreck. I was so scared we were going to lose this game and I wanted it so bad,” Killian said.

But, that was all Holy Cross (16-7) could manage to get off Killian.

Killian went the distance, allowed three hits (one to Kaity), three walks and struck out eight batters to earn her seventh victory of the year.

“I just kept telling myself I had to calm down, play my game and do the best that I could,” Killian said.

Said Wade: “That was tough when you have couple of errors like that and you are wondering if your defense is going to hold tight. (Killian) was strong and we needed that.”

LCA’s offense finally came to life in the fourth inning when Lowery turned around a fastball for solo home run to dead center.

“I was very frustrated after the first couple of innings,” said Wade. “We were making some errors and not being real smart.”

“I worked the count to (three balls and a strike) and swung at ball, but I was determined not to strikeout. I ended up fouling off an inside pitch and changeup. Then (Gaels’ pitcher Danielle Furniss) left one hanging and I was like ‘this is the one.’ I knew it was gone as soon as I hit.”

The Bulldogs added three more runs in the fifth on Rebecca Jones’ RBI-single and Bethany Good’s two-run double.

LCA tacked on two more runs in the sixth on an RBI-double by Eubank and an RBI-single by Lacie Windsor.

“I’m going to keep off the bragging,” said Killian. “(Kaity) would probably beat me up or something.”

Said Tom Harrison: “At least three of the four of us (referring to himself his two daughters Kaity and Killian and his wife) will be going home happy.”