Hornets handle Dragons

STANARDSVILLE - The first time William Monroe and Orange County locked up, the Dragons’ batters got the better of Heather Jenkins. Jenkins made sure she got them back Friday night.
The junior hurler allowed just three hits and struck out five in 6.2 innings of work to lead Orange to a 4-2 victory over Monroe.
“We had a tough time against them the first time,” said Orange head coach John Henry Ryder. “Last time they hit Heather a little bit, so I was going to go with Micalah [Sacre].”
Jenkins, who lost a 4-3 decision to Monroe in the teams’ first meeting, took over early in the first inning for Sacre. The freshman standout, who had struck out 13 batters in a 2-1 victory over Fluvanna County on Thursday, plunked two of the four batters she faced to open the contest as a gimpy back that she’s been battling acted up on her. That prompted Ryder to make the change.
“She’s been fighting through it, going to the chiropractor and things like that,” Ryder said.
After allowing Monroe (8-9, 5-4 Jefferson District) to take a 1-0 lead on a suicide squeeze by Kayla Cable that scored inherited runner Jessica Morris, Jenkins put the clamps on Monroe. She retired the side in all but the sixth inning, when Monroe’s Bethany Leake scored on an inside-the-park home run.
A nifty double play in the fifth inning snuffed out Monroe’s only other scoring chance. Jenkins forced Katelyn Roach to line out to second baseman Megan Roberts, who quickly flipped the ball to Sacre, who was covering second base from her spot at shortstop.
Offensively, Orange (13-4, 7-2) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third on a pair of back-to-back errors by Monroe fielders. The Hornets added a critical insurance run on an RBI triple to deep right field by Christina Spencer in the fourth inning that scored Alicia Humes.
Humes then staked Orange to a 4-1 lead with an inside-the-park home run that got past Monroe’s right fielder, allowing Humes to motor all the way around and setting off a wild celebration in front of the Orange dugout.
“I had to tell her to choke up on the bat,” Ryder said, “And it worked out pretty well for her.”
Orange’s win overshadowed a strong outing in the circle by Monroe’s Taylor Collier, who struck out eight in the losing effort. The sophomore right-hander’s defense faltered at times and allowed Orange to pull away.
“Taylor threw really well and even when things went bad behind her she just kept throwing hard the entire time,” said Monroe assistant coach Eileen Oliver.
Orange is locked in a three-way battle for the top spot in the Jefferson District, with Monticello and Fluvanna also battling for position. Much of the Jefferson District tournament seeding is still up in the air because the Flucos and Mustangs will play each other twice next week.
Monroe, who takes on Fluvanna and Louisa in back-to-back contests next week, is also still in the Jefferson District race.