Published: May 15, 2008 10:35 am         

Fort Hill beats Catoctin, 5-4

CUMBERLAND - One night after she hit a seventh-inning grand slam to win the quarterfinal game against Boonsboro, Shari Beavers scored the tie run, and Adria Lewis scored the winning run in extra innings as third-seeded Fort Hill used more late-inning magic in both the sixth and eighth innings to defeat Catoctin, 5-4, at Long Field and advance to the Maryland Class 1A West Region softball championship game.

Trailing 4-3 entering the bottom of the eighth, Beavers began play at second as part of the extra-innings rule and scored to tie the game when Lewis doubled to left-center field. Lewis then raced to third on a bunt by Cierra Miller, and a Catoctin throwing error to third sent Lewis home with the winning run.

The victory sets up the third meeting of the season between Fort Hill (17-3) and eighth-seeded Mountain Ridge (15-3) in Friday's 4 p.m. championship game at Long Field. Mountain Ridge defeated Fort Hill both times this season, 7-5 and 6-0, as the teams tied for the Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference title.

Fort Hill was behind 3-2 entering the bottom of the sixth when Miller singled and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alex Schupfer. With one out, Brittany Hines reached first on a throwing error and Miller went home to score the run that made it 3-3.

The Sentinels had an opportunity to win the game in the seventh, but Kathryn Huber was thrown out at home on a long flyball to center by Beavers to end the inning.

"I made a mistake sending her," said Fort Hill head coach Mike Bittner. "I almost ran us right out of the game, but this team overcame my poor decision to survive for another day."

In top of the eighth, Catoctin went ahead 4-3 when a ground-ball out to second base scored the go-ahead run from third. Fort Hill, however, rallied again in its final at-bat to continue to advance.

Beavers went the distance to get the win for the Sentinels, giving up five hits, striking out nine and walking two. Lewis went 3-for-4 with two singles and a double, while Miller singled twice and Beavers doubled.

"With last night's game and tonight's game," said Bittner, "our girls are the cardiac kids. They fight to the end and never give up. I'm very impressed with them. And they picked up the defense to play a fine game in the field, particularly after last night's game."

The Sentinels committed just one error against Catoctin after committing five in their 12-8 quarterfinal win over Boonsboro.