Arms lift Hornets to top of district

After a one-game playoff between Monticello and Orange County was needed to decide the Jefferson District’s regular-season softball champion, it’s anybody’s guess who will capture the tournament title.
Orange County prevailed in Wednesday’s tiebreaker game, 2-1, after splitting with the Mustangs earlier in the season.
The win gives the Hornets (17-4) the automatic Region II berth and a first-round bye in the district tournament, which begins today.
“I told them at the beginning of the season, it was theirs to take,” said Orange County coach John Henry Ryder. “The win [Wednesday] was really big for us - we get to advance to the region tournament and play at home, so it’s a big advantage.”
Monticello (15-5) secured the No. 2 seed and will play host to Charlottesville today at 5 p.m.
“I’m really excited about the tournament,” said Monticello coach Beth Humphrey. “I look forward to hopefully getting a rematch with Orange in the championship game. The district has been even up and down this year - all teams have the ability to beat each other. We knew we had to refocus [after the loss] and we’re working hard on that.”
Other quarterfinal games include No. 5 Louisa County at No. 4 William Monroe and No. 6 Western Albemarle at No. 3 Fluvanna County.
Orange’s only other regular-season district loss came against William Monroe, which also beat Monticello.
“It should be a good tournament,” Ryder said. “It will come down to who throws the ball well, who makes the least mistakes and who hits the ball well.”
Pitching has been a strength for the Hornets all season, with Heather Jenkins and Micalah Sacre leading the way. According to Ryder, his team is putting it all together.
“Right now we’re pitching really well, and we’ve started hitting the ball,” Ryder said. “And it’s happening at the right time.”
In Wednesday’s win over the Mustangs, Sacre, a freshman, recorded 13 strikeouts and scored both runs for the Hornets. Jenkins was 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Orange County will host the semifinals and final of the tournament, which will be held on May 20 and 22, respectively.
The Hornets will also host a first-round region game on May 26 against an opponent to be determined.