Green, Langley hoping to maintain Liberty rule
By Jason Devaney
Ask Langley senior Kelsey Green why she likes playing shortstop and you might crack a smile when you hear her response."I love playing in the dirt and getting dirty," said Green at a recent practice. "It's a great place to be where all the balls are hit."
Green, a four-year starter for coach Bob Morrow's Saxons, will extend her playing career as a member of the University of North Carolina's softball team next year. But for the time being, Green has one more season under Morrow.
Langley has claimed three of the last four Liberty District titles. Last spring, the Saxons lost to Robinson, 7-4, in the quarterfinals of the Northern Region tournament. During her career, Green has never hit below .500 in a season – her overall average is .509. Last season, she belted 16 extra base hits – including four home runs – and tallied 27 RBIs.
She is also no slouch in the field, having committed a very small number of errors. Last season, "E6" only appeared on the scoreboard twice while Green was in the field.
"We just played a scrimmage against Fairfax, and she went behind second base and threw a girl out at first base, and she turned a double play on another one," Morrow said. "So I feel comfortable putting her out there. She knows how to play the game. She's not the fastest person, but she's got speed. She can steal bases, she can bunt if necessary, so she's kind of an all-around player."
Langley's other four-year starter is Christina Bumpis. A catcher, Bumpis hit .359 with 11 RBIs last season – with a bad shoulder. Emily Willis is the No. 1 pitcher, with a pair of sophomores – Brooke Brown and Shannon Engel – backing her up. Morrow credited Bumpis for why the squad has been so successful in the pitching arena the past three seasons.
"[The [pitchers] just have confidence in Christina, and I think that makes a big difference in the rapport she has with the players," said the coach. "She's had six pitchers over four years and she's had to adjust to their pitching styles. They've all been a little bit different. She's like another coach on the field."
Elsewhere in the Liberty District, Madison might be the best candidate to halt Langley's dominance in the postseason. And paving the Warhawks' road is senior pitcher Kacie Goddard. In 116 innings pitched last season, Goddard struck out 93 batters and walked just 39. She allowed 29 runs, only 11 of which were earned. Offensively, she hit .338 with an on-base percentage of .442.
"She was the Pitcher of the Year for the Liberty District. She did very well last year, and we're counting on her to do a great job this year," Madison coach Wayne Martin said. "She has five pitches, that's very impressive. And what's great is her bat. She's an all-around really good player."
For Oakton, senior first baseman Morgan Lamon should have another big season in the challenging Concorde District. She hit .450 in 2007 and slugged .650.
"Last year we worked on her going the other way," Oakton coach Pat Purcell said. "Everybody wants to throw her outside; nobody wants to throw her inside because of her power. She's really worked hard going to the opposite field. She's got a lot of power that way, too. When we try to teach hitting placement, she's done a lot more in practice to try to go the other way."
Purcell said his squad is filled with quality athletes, but the team is struggling with the mental aspect of the game.
"Physically, in my opinion, we're as good as anyone in the region," Purcell said. "Mentally, we've got some issues. It's not a bad thing, but you gotta get mentally prepared to play – especially in the Concorde District."