Published: April 25, 2008 11:11 am         

FH, Hedgesville split

Sentinels win first game 3-2 behind Beavers' 4-hitter

CUMBERLAND - Fort Hill's Shari Beavers hurled a four-hitter in the 3-2 opening game win, and Jess Shirley countered for Hedgesville with a two-hitter in the 3-1 second as the teams split a well-pitched and played doubleheader Thursday at Long Field.

The twinbill featured two highly-ranked teams in their respective areas. Fort Hill (12-2) is No. 1 in the Times-News area poll, and Hedgesville (21-4) is No. 1 in the WHAG-TV Hagerstown poll. Fort Hill is No. 2 in that poll.

There were only two errors in the 14 innings, with none in the first game.

In the first game, Beavers struck out 12 and walked only two in her complete-game victory. Hedgesville scored its two runs in the seventh inning, and Beavers got the final out with a strikeout with two runners on base.

The Sentinels took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when Cierra Miller and Kathryn Huber singled and scored on a single by Alex Schupfer.

Huber singled and scored on a single by Destiny James in the fourth to make it 3-0.

Miller led an eight-hit attack with a double and two singles and Huber singled twice for Fort Hill.

Shirley and Cheslea Oals had RBI singles in the seventh for Hedgesville.

In the second game, the Sentinels took a 1-0 lead in the first but that would be all they would get as Shirley closed with six scoreless innings in a two-hit gem.

Beavers reached on an error and scored on a double by Schupfer to stake the Sentinels to the early lead.

Nazelrod erased it and gave Hedgesville the lead for good with a two-run home run in the third inning.

Shirley allowed Schupfer's double and a single by James, struck out seven and walked one.

Miller absorbed the loss, allowing only three hits in 5 1-3 innings. She struck out 10 and walked six.

Fort Hill will host Northern on Monday.