Huntingtown senior Tori Fletcher, pictured earlier in the season, fired a no-hitter in the Hurricanes’ 25-0 win at Oxon Hill in the Class 3A South Region championship game on Thursday afternoon. The win marked the fourth consecutive regional title for the Hurricanes.
Huntingtown’s softball team defeated Oxon Hill 25-0 on Thursday afternoon to claim its fourth consecutive Class 3A South Region championship.
Huntingtown senior Tori Fletcher, pictured earlier in the season, fired a no-hitter in the Hurricanes’ 25-0 win at Oxon Hill in the Class 3A South Region championship game on Thursday afternoon. The win marked the fourth consecutive regional title for the Hurricanes.
OXON HILL — There were a few questions as the softball season began as to whether Huntingtown was going to be able to mount a sturdy defense as the defending Class 3A state champion this year, given the number of key players who graduated last year.
There weren’t too many questions left by the end of Thursday afternoon’s Class 3A South Region final, as the Hurricanes traveled to Prince George’s County and won their fourth straight regional championship by a 25-0 count over Oxon Hill.
Huntingtown (20-1 overall) played in the 3A state semifinals on Tuesday at Bachman Softball Park in Glen Burnie against 3A North champion Bel Air of Harford County. A win puts the Hurricanes in the state final on Saturday at the University of Maryland in College Park against Linganore of Frederick County or Chesapeake of Anne Arundel County.
Huntingtown had earned its spot in the region final by virtue of a 5-2 win over county rival Northern on Wednesday, then hammered the host Clippers on Thursday behind a no-hitter from Tori Fletcher and an offense that banged out 22 hits, seven of which went for extra bases.
“I think with the way we played yesterday against Northern on our field that gave us confidence coming into this game,” Huntingtown head coach Mike Johnson said. “We knew we were playing for our fourth straight regional title, and I think the girls came out focused. Once they adjusted to the slower pitching, they put a couple of runs on the board and from that point on I thought we were in complete control.”
The Hurricanes scored seven runs in the top of the first inning, added 14 in the third and tacked on four more in the fourth to cap a prolific day on offense. Every Huntingtown starter had at least one hit and scored at least one run, while every bench player was able to get in the game and reach base, as well. Sophie Futchko, Taylor Hastings and Jordan Paddy each collected three hits, while Lexi Mann, Taylor Beach, Jaden Vermillion and Fletcher all had two.
With the win, the Hurricanes achieved something new for the program in winning a fourth straight regional title. Huntingtown, which won three straight state championships in the first three years the school was open, has reached the 3A final each of the previous three years and with one more win could make it four in a row.
“It means a lot,” Fletcher said. “We’ve had a fun season, and people had their doubts about us this season. It just feels great to be able to keep going with this team and it not end yet.”
Whatever was different as the season began, it’’s just business as usual for the Hurricanes now.
“I feel this group is much closer team-wise than we’ve ever been,” Fletcher said. “We lost a lot of girls last year, but I feel like these girls have really tried to fill their shoes and worked really hard to get to where we are.”
Still standing as the season heads into its final week, Johnson is optimistic that the team has worked itself to where it needs to be with the goal now in sight.
“I think we had some bumps along the way that we weren’t happy with,” he said, “but going into the last two games of the year, knock on wood that we get two games, I think where we are right now. I know what I’ve got on the bench that I can use in situations now. We’re getting a little healthier than we were maybe two weeks ago. I feel good right now.
“Now we’re going to play teams that play serious ball. We know we’re going to be challenged. I’m looking forward to it and I think the girls are looking forward to just going out to play ball the way they know how to play ball.”
Twitter: @cfhphilly
Twitter: @cfhphilly
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