Hornets, Flucos reach Jefferson final

Whenever Micalah Sacre enters the circle for the Orange County softball team, the Hornets have a great chance to win.

On Tuesday evening, Sacre lead her team not just in the circle, but at the plate as well, in a 2-0 win over William Monroe in the Jefferson District semifinals.

“I told the kids — If you go out and play the game, it’s yours to take,” said Orange coach John Henry Ryder. “If you don’t want to do that, you’re going to be crying while everyone else is still playing.”

Just a freshman, Sacre responded well to her coach’s message by throwing a 13-strikeout no-hitter and driving in the game winning run in the bottom of the sixth.

“I just try to do the best I can,” Sacre said. “[Monroe] is good competition and it was a good game.”

Sacre only allowed two runners to reach base, one on an error in the outfield, and the other, on a throwing error that came from a strikeout in the dirt. She retired 27 of the 29 batters she faced.

“When she is on, she makes plays,” Ryder said.

It was a pitchers’ duel at its finest as the Greene Dragons’ Taylor Collier was also brilliant from the rubber, giving up just two hits.

“In softball, when two teams are on and going at it, one or two hits wins you the ball game,” Ryder said.

The Monroe sophomore had a no-hitter of her own going until Orange broke loose in the bottom of the sixth.

Collier’s trouble came when Cali Allen drew a walk with no outs. Sacre drove in Allen on a bloop to center field to break the scoreless tie. In the very next at-bat, Paige Pritchett tacked on an insurance run by bringing Sacre home on a single.

It was all the offense Orange needed as Sacre shut down Monroe in the top of the seventh for the win.

“[There were] just a couple of close games that we didn’t get that we needed to,” said Monroe coach Salita Sullivan. “So the season is not what we expected, and we should have done better.”

The Dragons had a runner in scoring position twice in the game, both coming on errors from the Orange defense. However, Monroe was unable to advance the runner past second base on both occasions.

Fluvanna County 2, Monticello 1

With just one bid remaining for the upcoming Region II tournament, the scramble was on Tuesday night between the Monticello and Fluvanna County softball teams.

In a close game with both defenses coming up big, it was the long ball that put Fluvanna County over the top, 2-1.

“There’s nobody I want at the plate more than a senior,” said Fluvanna coach Nick Ward.

Tied going into the top of the seventh, Dana Luniewski stepped up to the plate and hit a home run to give her team the lead.

“It’s my senior year and I just really wanted to win,” Luniewski said. “I’m just so proud of myself because coach told me that it would come to me, and it came at the perfect time.”

With two outs, Monticello made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, when Brittney Via and Victoria Price drew back-to-back walks.

“Via was good and drew the walk and when Scott came up, I just didn’t want to give her anything,” Ward said. “We pitched around her so she didn’t jack one to win it.”

Up until that point, Fluvanna pitcher Brittany Lewis had yet to issue a base on balls.

Ward’s ploy worked in the end. Monticello hit a grounder in the next at bat to end the game.

“I’ve pitched over 100 innings,” Lewis said. “I just knew its just another out in another inning.”

Monticello’s Casey Burruss drove in the lone run in the bottom of the fourth on a groundout.

Mustangs pitcher Victoria Scott gave up just five hits while striking out seven.

“Victoria threw a great game,” said Monticello coach Beth Humphrey. “We just missed a hit here and there and there was only the one mistake in the top of the seventh.”