South County Girls' Soccer Ousts Woodson; Hayfield Baseball Rolls to Victory

When the spring sports season started the word was that the South County girls’ soccer team would be one to watch. With several players scheduled to , there was no shortage of talent. But things did not go as planned. The Stallions were plagued by injuries from the start of the season. They had a stretch where they lost three straight matches and ended with a record barely above .500 at 7-6-2.

But the record was good enough to get them into the district playoffs which meant time to get to good health. And a South County team operating at or near full strength would be one to reckon with. Just ask W.T. Woodson.

Last night, South County shut out the top-seeded Cavaliers, 2-0 to advance to the District Final against Lake Braddock tonight at West Springfield High School.

Though it could be considered an upset since South County was the four seed to Woodson’s one, the ability level said otherwise.

The Stallions’ goals game from sophomore Britney Kendall and freshman Andi Sullivan, which is indication of South County’s depth. George Mason-bound Liz Hodges was deft in her passing and Caitlyn McLaughlin, who will play at St. John’s next year, played through an injured hamstring. Kelley Johnson and Kris Lauria stymied Woodson defensively and goalkeeper Dana Robertson was solid.

Despite the victory, Stallions’ coach Maureen Saale is not taking anything for granted, “We have to play our game and earn our win (against Lake Braddock). Nothing comes easy at this point in the season.”

Elsewhere…

Hayfield’s baseball team may have been overshadowed by South County’s this year but they have expectations that are just as high. They’ve combined an explosive offense with some solid pitching to go 18-3 and earn the top seed in the National District playoffs.

That combination was on display last night again as the Hawks routed Wakefield 15-4. Hayfield hit throughout the lineup behind Michael Askew, who tossed a complete game.

Brad Johnson led the onslaught with three hits, including a pair of doubles. But he was not alone. Bryan DiRosario drove home three with two hits. Brady Larkin had a pair of hits and Eamonn Eshman scored three runs.

The Hawks will continue their quest for a championship this weekend.