Donovan's special delivery
By Jason Devaney
Nobody on, nobody out. Top of the sixth inning with goose eggs across the scoreboard.
That is what Centreville's Cara Donovan faced Monday evening when she strode to the plate against Herndon pitcher Katie Briggs.
The freshman third baseman worked the count to 1-2, and then she got a good look at a screwball low and inside. A real good look, in fact.
Donovan's bat slammed into the ball, and the entire park watched as the sphere sliced through the cool night air and landed on the other side of the left field fence. Centreville added another run a few batters later after two Herndon fielding errors, which was enough to lead them to a 2-0 victory.
"It's my first home run, I'm a freshman, so it's pretty exciting," Donovan said in the dugout afterward. "It was a pretty good game. They're known as a good team and we were looking forward to this game. It's just a big team win. It feels good."
Centreville improved its season mark to 9-2 overall and 4-0 in the Concorde District. Herndon is now 9-3, 4-2, and it is very possible that the two squads will meet again in the district final – and possibly deep in the Northern Region playoffs.
But for now, Donovan and Co. can enjoy Monday's victory. Donovan led off the game with a single to right field, and followed that in the third inning with a single to center. She advanced to second on a stolen base, sliding headfirst ahead of the tag. Not only did she go 3-for-3 on the night, but Donovan had all three of Centreville's hits.
"I'm telling you right now, she's your leadoff hitter No. 1, and she's a freshman No. 2," Centreville coach Rick Ferrick said. "You're very proud of that. We knew she was gutsy from the get-go, but it's just a lot of confidence over the last couple games. Very proud to see that, very happy. Especially in your leadoff hitter, you can't ask for anything more than that."
Herndon's ace pitcher, Katie Rynex, fractured her right ankle a few weeks ago and is out until at least the end of the regular season. Her replacement, senior Katie Briggs, is more than capable of shouldering the load. She has rotated on the mound with Rynex during her career, and was very impressive Monday night. What she lacks in speed she makes up with movement in her arsenal of offspeed pitches.
The Wildcats struggled with Briggs all night, but it was Donovan who found a way to get on base and create some offense.
"She's had games where she's had two or three errors, she's had games when she's gone 'oh-fer,'" Ferrick noted. "We've stuck with her and she's stuck with it, and now we're starting to see some dividends. Not only at the plate, but in the field, she's really starting to put her game together."
Earning the win for Centreville was senior right-hander Brianne Pease. She struck out three and scattered two hits, and then yielded to Jessica Ferrick in the bottom of the sixth inning to finish the job. In the field, Centreville backed up its pitchers in style. Pease, shortstop Victoria Marvin and Ferrick (at first base) turned a 1-6-3 double play in the fourth inning, and the trio almost turned another one in the seventh.
"Bri always does a good job," said Donovan, who had the game-ending putout. "She throws the screwball, curveball, she rarely throws any fastballs. She's hard to hit. Their pitcher, most of the game was throwing outside. And then she gave me that big inside pitch."
Donovan certainly took advantage of it.