Southern wins speedy game, 3-1 over Fort Hill in playoff opener

CUMBERLAND — If you blinked, you may have missed Thursday’s game.

After just over an hour and 20 minutes, No. 6 seed Southern opened the Class 1A West Region I playoffs with a 3-1 win over No. 3 Fort Hill on Thursday at Washington Middle.

“This is the team that I knew we had within,” Southern manager Amber Hill said. “We battled hard, Adeline (Wilson) threw well, we didn’t get flat. This is what I’ve been preaching all season. We have so much talent, and it showed today.”

It only took 30 minutes to get through three innings and 45 minutes to play five.

A big reason why was both teams frequently getting outcomes within three or fewer pitches.

“I thought it was a heck of a game,” Fort Hill skipper Jason McMahan said. “I thought Wilson did a good job keeping us off balance first five innings. Unfortunately for us, we had the bases loaded in the sixth and we just waited a little too late to get our bats going.”

In the first five frames, the Rams (10-11) were retired on three pitches or less 10 times including five first pitch outs.

The Sentinels (10-9) were out eight times in three or fewer pitches.

Through five innings, Southern had four hits and a walk.

Wilson had a no-hit bid through 5 2/3 innings for the Rams before Summer Welsh beat out an infield single.

Wilson (Maryland Eastern-Shore commit) went the distance, striking out eight against three hits and a walk with no earned runs.

“Determination, senior season, she was laying it all on the line,” Hill said of Wilson. “She wanted the ball in the circle. She was in her zone today.”

In the top of the sixth, Southern finally broke the scoring drought.

With a runner on following an error at first, Halee Bruckey hit a line drive to left for an RBI single for the game’s first run.

“It was a pitcher’s duel, and in a pitcher’s duel a lot of times that happens,” McMahan said. “The game goes quick and then it comes down to one or two timely hits with base runners on.”

Bruckey led the Rams going 2 for 3 with a double.

Wilson followed with a double deep to left, then scored on a groundout to put the Rams ahead 3-0.

“I think that comes down to how young we are,” Hill said. “We had a lot of nerves going into this. We were a little off, not seeing the ball. Not getting the toe touch, not hitting the ball solid. I think we kind of relaxed a little bit, got in a groove in the box.”

In the bottom of the seventh, the Sentinels prevented the shutout on a single from Emma McMahan.

Haley Metz allowed two earned runs across seven frames, striking out three against seven hits and a walk for Fort Hill.

The late innings have been the Sentinels’ kryptonite this season.

In both games against Allegany and at Mountain Ridge, Fort Hill kept it competitive through most of the contest.