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Spring 2002 TJHSST Varsity Softball Roster
Michelle Allison	Katie Atwater	Lindsey Barnhart
Katie Firich	Jessica Kingsley	Meghan McConnell
Mary Nugent	Laura Peterson	Laura Pirro
Laura Tallent	Laura Trigeiro	Ashley Wilson
Weilin Yang	Caitlin Rees

MARCH 11 -- Jefferson's varsity softball team got its 2002 season off to a strong start Monday, blanking West Potomac 4-0 in a scrimmage at the Wolverine's field.
Junior shortstop Laura Tallent had a double and a single and scored twice, and Senior left fielder Jessica Kingsley had two singles and two rbi's to lead the Colonial attack. Additional runs were scored by Senior Right Fielder Michelle Allison and Sophomore Mary Nugent, who led off the game with a single. Senior Ashley Wilson and Junior Laura Peterson also ripped singles up the middle as part of Jefferson's seven-hit performance.
Senior Meghan McConnell laid the groundwork for the Colonials' victory with four innings of strong pitching, yielding only a single hit. Freshman pitcher Weilin Yang also allowed only one hit in three innings of relief. Both pitchers rang up two or more strikeouts.
The Jefferson defense was impressive throughout the game, giving up only one error. Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart was solid behind the plate, gunning down the only Wolverine steal attempt and nearly picking off two other base runners at first.
Next up for the Colonials is a 4PM Wednesday scrimmage at Langley.

MARCH 14 -- Junior Laura Tallent and Sophomore Mary Nugent each scored twice and Senior Jessica Kingsley had a double and two rbi's as Jefferson defeated Langley 5-2 in a scrimmage at Langley on Thursday. Freshman Weilin Yang also scored for the Colonials. Among players with base hits for TJ were Nugent, Tallent, Kingsley, Seniors Lindsey Barnhart and Meghan McConnell and Junior Katie Firich. Nugent, the third baseman, had three hits. McConnell pitched four scoreless innings, and Yang held the opponents to two runs in the final three frames.

MARCH 21 -- Jefferson had runners at second and third in each of the final two innings but could not bring them home as the Colonials fell to McLean 2-0 in the opening game of the West Springfield Tournament. The game was played at Jefferson. TJ Senior Meghan McConnell held McLean hitless for five innings before the visitors broke the game open with a string of four singles in the sixth. Pitching on her eighteenth birthday, McConnell recorded five strikeouts for TJ and was serenaded by her teammates at the conclusion of the game. Senior Laura Trigeiro, Juniors Laura Peterson and Katie Firich, and Sophomore Mary Nugent had singles for the Colonials. McClean outhit Jefferson 6-4 on the day. Next up for the Colonials is a tournament game scheduled for noon Saturday, March 23, at West Springfield where Jefferson will face the loser of the first-round game between Mount Vernon and West Springfield. The Friday, March 22, non-district game against Lake Braddock has been postponed until later in the season.

MARCH 23 -- Jefferson used timely hitting to overcome some early errors as the Colonials notched a 6-3 win against Mount Vernon Saturday in the second round of the West Springfield Invitational Tournament. Senior Left Fielder Jessica Kingsley had two hits and scored twice for Jefferson as TJ rebounded from an opening round loss in the 16-team tournament. Also scoring for the Colonials were Juniors Laura Peterson, Katie Atwater and Laura Tallent, who scored twice. Additional hits for TJ came from Peterson, Atwater, Seniors Laura Trigeiro and Laura Pirro and Sophomore Mary Nugent, who had a double. Two early errors on fly balls by Jefferson allowed the Majors to close to within one run of TJ at 4-3 after three innings, but the Colonials put together four singles and added two insurance runs in the top of the fifth inning. Mount Vernon threatened again in the last inning, loading the bases on two singles and a walk, but the game ended with a strikeout by Freshman Pitcher Weilin Yang and two fly ball outs to left field. Yang allowed three walks and three hits but got the save with three innings of work. Senior Pitcher Meghan McConnell earned the win with four solid innings, allowing no earned runs and scattering five hits, all singles. Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart was strong behind the plate for Jefferson, cutting down the only Mount Vernon steal attempt in the sixth. Barnhart, who laid down a nice sacrifice bunt, Junior Katie Firich and Atwater had rbi's for TJ. Next for the Colonials is a Monday, March 25, tournament game at 10 AM against the winner of Saturday's game between W. T. Woodson and Hylton. The game will be played at Lake Braddock.

MARCH 25 A first inning hit parade by W.T. Woodson marched Jefferson's Colonials off the field with a 5-2 loss in Monday's third-round game in the Northern Virginia Invitational Tournament. Half of Woodson's eight hits for the game and four of its runs came in the opening inning. TJ battled back, scoring two runs in a five-hit performance. The Colonials outhit and outscored Woodson for the last six innings, but couldn't overcome the first-inning deficit. Hits for TJ came from Seniors Jessica Kingsley, Laura Trigeiro and Laura Pirro, Junior Laura Peterson and Sophomore Mary Nugent. Trigeiro and Nugent scored Jefferson's runs. Senior Pitcher Meghan McConnell went five innings, and Freshman Weilin Yang pitched the final two. Each pitcher registered one walk and one strikeout. The game was played at Lake Braddock. Next for Jefferson is a 10 AM Tuesday contest with Osbourne Park, also scheduled for the Lake Braddock field.

MARCH 26 CONCORDE DISTRICT
By JOE FERRARO Journal staff writer
JEFFERSON
Jefferson (9-13) upset the Hornets in the first round of the district tournament last year before losing to Lake Braddock in the first round of the region tournament.
The Colonials did that behind the pitching of Dispenza. This season, senior Meghan McConnell assumes the responsibilities on the mound, and she brings limited varsity experience. However, 20th-year Jefferson coach Terri Davis said she's been consistent so far. Freshman Weilin Yang will pitch some also.
They'll be throwing to senior Lindsey Barnhart, a returning starter with a strong arm. Barnhart is one of five seniors in the starting lineup.
"That's going to be a plus for us - leadership," Davis said.
At the plate, sophomore third baseman Mary Leigh Nugent provides good speed and good situational hitting - she had 15 sacrifices and 12 hits last year. Junior Laura Tallent and seniors Jessica Kingsley (left field), Laura Pirro (right field), and Laura Peterson (center field) fill the next four slots in the order.
However, senior Laura Trigeiro, who batted near the bottom of the order last year, hit a team-high .262 for the the Colonials. Tallent hit .254.

MARCH 26 Jefferson's Laura Pirro slammed a line drive deep to left for an inside the park home run as TJ won its final game in the Northern Virginia Invitational Tournament on Tuesday. The senior right fielder was two for four on the day with three rbi's as the Colonials survived a shaky last inning and held on for a 7-6 victory over Osbourne Park. TJ's 9-hit performance also included singles by Seniors Jessica Kingsley, Laura Trigeiro and Lindsey Barnhart, and Juniors Laura Tallent, Laura Peterson and Katie Atwater, and a double by Sophomore Mary Nugent. Colonial runs were scored by Atwater, Peterson, Pirro, Barnhart and Nugent, who scored twice. Also scoring was Senior Michelle Allison who entered the game as a courtesy runner, stole second base and came home on an overthrow at third base in the fifth inning. Jefferson built a comfortable lead in the early innings but had to fight off a seventh-inning charge by an Osbourne Park team which staged a four-run rally in the final frame. Senior Pitcher Meghan McConnell went four innings for TJ, yielding only a single unearned run. Freshman Weilin Yang pitched the fifth and six innings before she was relieved on the mound by previously unknown bullpen ace Tallent, who left her normal position as TJ's shortshop to pitch for the first time in her high school career. Walks, hits and errors allowed Osbourne Park to climb back into the game, but Yang closed out the win for Jefferson after she returned to the mound with one out and the tying run on base. The game, played at Lake Braddock, left Jefferson with two wins and two losses for the NOVA Tournament, which is sponsored by West Springfield High School. Next for the Colonials is their first Concorde District contest, a home game against Oakton scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, at 6 PM.

APRIL 2 -- In an exciting Concorde District opener for both teams, Jefferson outhit Oakton 10 to 5 but lost to the Cougars 2-1 in extra innings. An Oakton runner scrambled home on an overthrow in the eighth inning to notch the win. TJ kept its fans on the edge of the their seats throughout the close contest, nearly bringing home the winning run in both the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, with the score tied at one apiece, Jefferson Junior Katie Atwater lined a shot to shallow left-center and appeared to have driven home Senior Laura Pirro for the tie-breaking run, but Oakton Center Fielder Ashley Purcell picked the ball up on a single hop in the outfield and gunned a long throw to first base to put Atwater out. In the seventh, Jefferson made another bid for the win with a runner on base and the score still tied, but Oakton's outfielders reeled in long fly balls hit by Jefferson Sophomore Mary Nugent and Senior Jessica Kingsley to thwart the TJ drive. For the game, the Colonials left a total of nine runners on base. After a couple of early miscues, Jefferson bought itself the opportunity to win with strong overall defensive play in the late innings. Oakton hit and bunted the potential winning run into scoring position in the fifth, sixth, seventh innings and eighth innings, but Jefferson turned backed multiple Cougar scoring chances as Colonial infielders turned every Oakton bunt attempt into an out, outfielders ran down fly balls and Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart made a successful pickoff at third. The defense backed up a solid, complete-game performance by TJ Senior Pitcher Megan McConnell who not only held the Cougars to five hits, but also prevented Oakton from scoring a single earned run. McConnell retired the Cougars in order in the first two innings and yielded only two hits through the first five innings. Jefferson's 10 hits came from six players: Pirro had three hits, Kingsley and fellow Senior Laura Trigeiro had two, and Nugent, Barnhart and Junior Laura Tallent had one. Pirro and Trigeiro each had a double. The lone Jefferson run was scored in the first inning by Nugent who singled, stole second, advanced to third on an infield single by Kingsley and came home on an rbi single by Pirro. In addition to kicking off district play, the Tuesday night home game marked the opening of the new softball concession stand at Jefferson. The Colonials (2-3, 0-1) next face Westfield in an away game Friday at 7 PM.

TJ Junior Varsity Soft Ball opened their season at Oakton with a loss of 16 to 1. The Colonials were dominated by Oakton pitching for the first 4 innings. TJ's lone run came on an inside the park home run by Hillary Redhead in the top of top of the 5th. Also getting hits that inning were Allison Tobia with a stand-up double, and Chelsea Colby with a single. Defensively the squad was led by Caitlin Rees with 2 assists and 4 put-outs, including an unassisted double play. The next game will be at home on Friday 4/5/02 at 6PM against Westfield.

APRIL 5 -- Two triples and an infield single weren't enough firepower for Jefferson to overcome Westfield Friday night as the Colonials lost to the Bulldogs 7-3. The game, played at Westfield, marked Jefferson's second straight Concorde District loss. The game began on a positive note for TJ when Sophomore Mary Leigh Nugent led off with a stand up triple to right field and stole home on a passed ball several pitches later. Also in the first inning, Senior Laura Trigeiro walked, stole second, advanced to third on an infield out and stole home on another passed ball. But in the bottom of the first Westfield was able to combine five walks and three hits to push across five runs. The Bulldogs added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on three hits and a walk. The Colonials answered in the top of the fifth when Junior designated hitter Katie Atwater drew a lead off walk, and Senior Lindsey Barnhart reached base on a fielder's choice. Barnhart then took second on a passed ball, and came all the way home on a triple by Freshman Caitlin Rees in her first varsity at-bat. But the Jefferson rally ended before the Colonials could close the gap any farther. In addition to the triples by Nugent and Rees, Senior Laura Pirro also had a hit, hustling down to first to beat out a slow infield grounder. Jefferson's three hits were the fewest TJ has had in any game to date this year. Senior Meghan McConnell recorded three strikeouts in the four innings she pitched. Freshman Weilin Yang pitch two innings, striking out one and giving up one hit. Jefferson played without Senior left fielder Jessica Kingsley who suffered a broken nose during pre-game warmups. The four-year starter is listed as questionable pending further evaluation of her injury but hopes to be able to return to the lineup soon. Next up for TJ is Chantilly in a Monday, April 8, home game starting at 6:00 PM. The Colonial's postponed game with Lake Braddock has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 9.

08 April The bright moments in Jefferson's 9-1 loss to Chantilly came well after two controversial calls had put the game out of reach for the Colonials. A rare double play and a hard-earned put out at the plate showed Jefferson's defensive capabilities and helped TJ rally to avoid a mercy-rule ending to the Concorde District contest. The Chargers broke the game open early, scoring seven runs in the first two innings, six of them after controversial two-out calls went in Chantilly's favor. Both times Chantilly hitters took advantage of the favorable rulings, following the controversial calls with run-scoring doubles. Trailing 9-0, Jefferson turned up its defensive intensity in the fourth inning when Senior Pitcher Meghan McConnell, Junior Shortstop Laura Tallent and Senior First Baseman Laura Trigeiro combined efforts to produce a well-turned double play to end the inning and finally shut down the Charger scoring machine. The strong defensive showing continued in the next inning when Junior Center Fielder Laura Peterson gunned a throw from center field to home plate where Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart came up with the ball and the third out when she emerged from her tangled crash with sliding Chantilly shortstop Maureen Dooley. The Chargers had 12 hits on the night, including three doubles and a triple. The Colonials had six hits, all singles. Seniors Jessica Kingsley and Laura Trigeiro, Sophomore Mary Nugent and Tallent each had one hit. Senior Laura Pirro had two. Kingsley scored the only Jefferson run in the bottom of the fourth when reached base on an infield single, advanced to third on another infield single by Pirro and scored on an RBI groundout by Peterson. McConnell pitched five innings for Jefferson. Freshman Weilin Yang relieved her in the sixth. Also entering the game for Jefferson in the sixth inning were Senior Outfielders Michelle Allison and Ashley Wilson, and Freshman Second Baseman Caitlin Rees. Next up for Jefferson is a Tuesday, April 9, away game against the Patriot District-leading Lake Braddock Bruins.

APRIL 12 -- Jefferson exploded for eight runs in extra innings as the Colonials defeated South Lakes 11-3 and notched their first district win in dramatic fashion Friday night. TJ came from behind to tie the game at three runs apiece in the seventh, forcing extra innings and setting the stage for a show of Jefferson firepower three frames later. Junior Shortstop Laura Tallent struck the decisive blow, singling home Senior Left Fielder Jessica Kingsley with what proved to be the winning run in the top of the 10th. But that 4-3 advantage marked just the beginning of TJ's offensive fireworks as the Colonials then batted around, blasting a total of seven singles and a double at the reeling Seahawks. It was easily the biggest hitting and run-scoring inning of the year for Jefferson. Senior Meghan McConnell pitched a strong, complete game for the Colonials, throwing 137 pitches and striking out four Seahawk batters. McConnell helped her own cause by scoring a run and posting two hits and an RBI. Jefferson dug itself an early hole in this away game when an illegal pitch and pair of infield errors helped South Lakes to 3-0 lead in the opening inning. But TJ kept itself in contention, using strong defensive plays in right field and at third base to escape a bases-loaded jam and prevent the Seahawks from breaking the game open in the second. The Colonials struck back in the fourth when Kingsley singled, advanced to second and third on wild pitches, then came home on a sacrifice fly by Junior Laura Peterson. Jefferson knotted the score in the seventh when Sophomore Mary Nugent's RBI single brought home Tallent and fellow Junior Katie Atwater. Nugent, the third baseman and leadoff hitter for Jefferson, had four singles in five at-bats. South Lakes managed a single in each the eighth and tenth innings but was unable to answer the Jefferson rally. The Colonials outhit the Seahawks 16-9. Senior Laura Trigeiro had three hits, two singles and a double. Kingsley, Tallent and McConnell had two hits each, and Atwater and Seniors Lindsey Barnhart and Laura Pirro had one apiece. Jefferson's runs were scored by Kingsley, Tallent and Atwater, who each scored twice; and by Nugent, McConnell, Pirro, Barnhart and Peterson. Next up for the Colonials (3-5, 1-3) is a home game against Centreville at 6 PM on Tuesday, April 16. The Lake Braddock game, postponed twice due to rain, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 17, at Lake Braddock.

APRIL 16 -- Jefferson Senior Meghan McConnell saved her best pitching performance of the season for Tuesday's home game against Concorde District leader Centreville, but a trio of Colonials' errors opened the door for a 3-1 win by the visiting Wildcats. Throwing mostly fast balls and rise balls, McConnell issued no walks and scattered just four hits over seven innings. Jefferson jumped on top early, scoring on a wild pitch by Centreville Senior Krista Brotemarkle with runners on second and third after a first-inning single by Sophomore Mary Nugent, a sacrifice bunt by Junior Laura Tallent and a single to left-center by Senior Jessica Kingsley. Jefferson sought to add to its lead in third inning when another single-sacrifice-single combination by Nugent, Tallent and Kingsley again put the Colonials in scoring position, but Jefferson went down in order after that. Trouble for TJ arrived in the fourth when two hits by the Wildcats combined with three errors by Jefferson to allow three Centreville runners across home plate. The Wildcat rally was eventually shut down when Jefferson Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart held her ground and held onto the ball to tag out a hard-sliding Centreville runner and McConnell followed up by ringing up the third out with a strikeout. Colonial fans allowed themselves to hope for a comeback later in the game when Kingsley drove a fly-ball out deep to left in the sixth inning and when Junior Katie Firich dropped a single into right in the seventh, but Jefferson never threatened again. The Colonials outhit the Wildcats 5-4 on the night.
Nugent and Kingsley each had a pair of singles, and Firich had one. Nugent scored the only TJ run. McConnell struck out two Centreville batters. Brotemarkle had six strikeouts for the Wildcats and walked one. Junior Katie Atwater played right field for the Colonials, and Senior Laura Pirro moved to first base to replace Senior Laura Trigeiro, who was away on a college visit. TJ Freshman Weilin Yang batted for Atwater in the seventh. Next up for Jefferson (3-6, 1-4) is a Wednesday game at Lake Braddock. The Colonials play Friday at Herndon and Saturday at West Springfield.

17 April -- In an exciting come-from-behind victory, Jefferson used a final-inning offensive outburst to dispatch regional softball power Lake Braddock 4-2 on Wednesday. Triples ripped to opposite fields by Sophomore Mary Leigh Nugent and Senior Jessica Kingsley and a double and a single by Seniors Laura Pirro and Laura Trigeiro were the building blocks of the decisive 4-run rally by the Colonials. It was the second time in less than a week that TJ staged a last-minute rally to win.
Jefferson had been banging on the door all night long, putting the leadoff batter on base in four different innings, but the Colonials didn't get on the scoreboard until they knocked the door off its hinges in the top of the seventh. Nugent led off the game with a single to center but was stranded at second; Junior Laura Tallent did the same thing in the second inning, but couldn't get beyond third; Junior Center Fielder Laura Peterson walked to start the third inning, but was also left on third. And in the fifth inning, Peterson again led off with a walk, but to no avail. Lake Braddock meanwhile brought home two runs in the bottom of the third after a hit, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third. The Bruins' first run scored on a fielders' choice and the second on a sacrifice fly. The score remained two to nothing until the top of the seventh. Peterson again led off, and reached first on an infield throwing error. Nugent followed with a lined triple to right, scoring Peterson. Trigeiro singled to right, bringing in Nugent to tie the score. Trigerio took second on a wild pitch and scored the winning run on a triple to the left field corner by Kingsley. Pirro brought home Kingsley with a double to center field to complete the scoring. Senior Meghan McConnell pitched the first four innings and returned in the bottom of the seventh to stifle a Lake Braddock rally, getting the final out. Freshman Weilin Yang pitched two and two-thirds innings for her first high school win. Tallent, Peterson, McConnell, Kingsley, Pirro, Yang and Senior Lindsey Barnhart all recorded one hit for TJ. Nugent and Trigeiro had two. Jefferson's other last-minute rally came last Friday at South Lakes where TJ tied the score in the seventh before going on to prevail in 10 innings.
Next up for the Colonials (4-6, 1-4) is a Concorde District game with Herndon, at their field at 7 PM Friday, April 19.

APRIL 19 -- The bases were lonely places during Jefferson's at-bats Friday night as the Colonials fell 3-0 to the surging Herndon Hornets. Jefferson managed only two hits and three baserunners against Herndon Senior Pitcher Tara Trago. The Hornet hurler changed the speed and location of her pitches effectively, leaving most Jefferson hitters to spray ground balls around the infield for easy outs. TJ's two-hit performance made this game the least productive at the plate this year for the Colonials, a surprising offensive flameout for a team which banged out more than 30 hits in its last three games, including a 16-hit performance one week ago tonight. Herndon's Trago struck out four Jefferson batters and walked one. The win by Herndon keeps the Hornets in the chase for Concorde Division lead. Herndon scored its first run on a single and a subsequent infield catching error in the third inning, but earned and insured its victory by stringing together three hits, including a triple to the center field fence, for two more runs in the sixth. The Colonials then showed some defensive mettle, closing out the inning on the strength of a double play by Juniors Laura Tallent at shortstop and Katie Firich at second base. Tallent snagged a hard-hit ground ball, tagged out a runner enroute from second to third, then flipped the ball to Firich to force out a runner advancing from first. It was the team's second double play this year. Jefferson Senior Pitcher Meghan McConnell allowed seven hits over seven innings, striking out two and walking none. The Colonials' hits were singles by McConnell and Senior Laura Trigeiro. Jefferson (4-7, 1-5) next travels to West Springfield at 1 PM Saturday.

APRIL 20 -- Jefferson's bats came back to life on Saturday afternoon, drumming out an 11-hit attack as the Colonials rallied to a 6-4 victory over the West Springfield Spartans. Senior Left Fielder Jessica Kingsley lined three singles to the outfield in four trips to the plate and scored the tying run, while classmate Laura Pirro had two singles of her own and scored the go-ahead run. Junior Laura Tallent also had a pair of singles, scoring twice. Her classmates, Laura Peterson and Katie Atwater, added to the TJ hitfest as well, smashing doubles to the outfield fence. It appeared at first that Peterson's deep blast might be long enough to clear the left field fence for a rare home run. The strong offensive performance by Jefferson marked a major turnaround after a sluggish 2-hit outing against Herndon the night before. With Saturday's numbers boosting their totals, the Colonials are averaging nearly 10 hits a game in their last five contests. Jefferson sparkled on defense against the Spartans as well, turning double plays in both the first and fifth innings. In the opening frame, Senior First Baseman Laura Trigeiro fired to third where Sophomore Third Baseman Mary Nugent slapped down a tag to double off a Spartan runner who had tried to advance on a subsequent batter's ground-ball out to the shortstop. Four innings later, with a runner on first, Junior Second Baseman Katie Firich fielded a hard-hit ground ball, tagged out the runner racing for second, then flipped the ball to Trigeiro for another double play. Senior Pitcher Megan McConnell showed still more defensive savvy for Jefferson in the sixth. With runners at the corners, McConnell snagged a comebacker at the mound, stared down the runner at third to prevent her from heading home, then whipped the ball to first base for a crucial out. This was another game in which a Jefferson rally was needed to secure the victory. The Spartans pulled out in front early, using two hits and a TJ error to push home two runs. They threatened again in the third, loading the bases before the inning ended when Firich fielded a grounder and threw to Trigeiro at first for the third out. The Colonials marshalled their main attack when the top of the team's batting order came up in the fifth. Four out of the first five Jefferson batters rapped singles. The last of these was a line-hugging grounder by McConnell which hopped the third-base bag and brought home two of Jefferson's four runs, including the game winner. West Springfield mustered the makings of a possible comeback in the sixth when they got two runners aboard, but they couldn't capitalize. The Spartans then went down in order in the last inning. McConnell threw a complete game, tossing 101 pitches, including 11 first-pitch strikes, and allowing six hits. She walked three and struck out four. Spartan Pitcher Lauren Thomas gave up 11 hits. She had three strikeouts and a walk. Nugent, McConnell, Pirro and Atwater each recorded one hit for Jefferson. Pirro and Tallent had two, and Kingsley had three. The Colonial runs were scored by Peterson, Nugent, Kingsley, Pirro, and by Tallent, who scored twice. Next up for Jefferson (5-7, 1-5) is a 6 PM Monday, April 22, away game against district rival Oakton.

APRIL 22 -- In an extra-inning thriller at Oakton, Jefferson's Colonials used classic softball strategy to grind out a 3-1 win over the Cougars. Jefferson Coach Teri Davis called for a bases-loaded bunt in the top of the eighth inning, and Junior Laura Tallent delivered, squeezing home the winning run and ending years of futility for the Colonials in their long-running rivalry with Oakton. With two Jefferson runners aboard in the first extra frame, Oakton tried to limit the Colonials' options by pitching around TJ cleanup hitter Laura Pirro, but the veteran Davis turned the Cougar strategy to her advantage by signaling for the squeeze bunt, one of the most exciting plays in softball. With the bunt dropped down to near perfection, Sophomore Mary Nugent slid home with the deciding run. Senior Jessica Kingsley followed her one play later to provide the final 2-run margin of victory. The same three players involved in the final scoring push by Jefferson also provided the defensive highlights. Shortstop Tallent and Left Fielder Kingsley both made lunging catches to nab pop fly foul balls at the left-side fence, while Third Baseman Nugent claimed a third bonus out for Jefferson by slapping down a timely tag on a runner who overslid third base. Tallent, whose collision with the fence cost her a finger cut, also made a fine over-the-shoulder catch earlier in the game. On a windy night, Jefferson jumped out to an early lead in its first at bat. Nugent walked, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by First Baseman Laura Trigeiro, took third on an infield ground out by Kingsley, and scored on an rbi single by Pirro, the right fielder. Colonials' Senior Pitcher Megan McConnell held the Cougars scoreless on two hits through five innings, but Oakton tied the game in the sixth when a sacrifice fly to center field brought home a runner from third. As the lights came on and regulation play ended with the score tied at one apiece, Senior parents on the Jefferson side wondered if the teams were headed for a replay of 1999's 15-inning contest at Oakton, a game which eventually ended in heartbreak for the Colonials. But Jefferson's battery brushed those notions aside with a display of run-scoring acumen which required only one extra inning. Nugent walked to open the inning and again moved to second on a well-executed sacrifice bunt by Senior Trigeiro. Kingsley then punched a clean single to the outfield, moving Nugent to third. One pitch later Kingsley stole second, trying in vain to draw a throw from the Cougar catcher to open the door for Nugent to charge home. With TJ runners on second and third, Oakton Coach Chris Jarboe instructed his pitcher to keep the ball away from Pirro, Jefferson's powerful cleanup hitter. Pirro's walk loaded the bases with only one out. The sweetly dropped bunt by Tallent scored Nugent. Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart then pushed Kingsley across the plate and earned an rbi when she reached first on an infield error. But Jefferson's 2-run margin appeared in jeopardy almost as soon as the Cougars came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth. The first Oakton batter, the team's leadoff hitter, doubled to left, and the second batter walked. With the tying run aboard, Jefferson's defense rallied to finish the job. Kingsley ran down a foul ball at the fence for out number one, and Second Baseman Katie Firich scooped up a ground ball and threw to first for the second out. The final blow came when Jefferson's McConnell blew a fastball by an Oakton batter to end the game on a strikeout. McConnell held Oakton to four hits on the night, with three strikeouts and two walks. She threw a total of 93 pitches. Oakton Pitcher Karen Pegnato allowed five hits, with three strikeouts and five walks. Jefferson's hits were by Nugent, Trigeiro, Kingsley, Pirro and Tallent. Nugent and Trigeiro had doubles. The Colonial runs were scored by Kingsley and Nugent. Nugent scored twice. Next up for Jefferson (6-7, 2-5) is a Wednesday 6PM home game against Westfield.

APRIL 24 -- Jefferson's on-again, off-again offense went back into hibernation Wednesday, and the Colonials dropped a district game to Westfield by a score of 2-1. Walks and errors were Jefferson's eventual undoing, but TJ's sluggish performance at the plate was reminiscent of last week's contest with another district foe, Herndon. The difference on Wednesday night was that the Westfield pitching was less imposing. However, in both contests, the same Colonial lineup which posted 95 hits during the first 13 games of the season -- with the top four hitters batting .350 or above -- was held to only two hits on the night. Against Westfield, Jefferson jumped on top in the second inning following Senior Laura Pirro's single to left. Pirro took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Junior Laura Tallent, and scored on grounder by Senior Megan McConnell, who was thrown out at first. That lone run should have been enough because Westfield also mustered only two hits on Wednesday. But defensive disaster struck for Jefferson in the fourth inning when the visiting Bulldogs turned four walks, a wild pitch and a Jefferson error into two runs. The Colonials tried to rally in the fifth, putting runners on the corners with only one out after a hit and a Westfield error, but Junior Katie Atwater struck out and classmate Laura Peterson grounded out to end the inning and erase the Jefferson threat. The Colonials got one runner aboard in the sixth on a walk by Senior Jessica Kingsley, but TJ otherwise went down in order in the final two frames. Jefferson's two hits were singles by Pirro and Tallent. Pirro scored the only TJ run. McConnell pitched a complete game for Jefferson, allowing two hits on 114 pitches, with four walks and a season-high seven strikeouts. She struck out the side in the second inning. Westfield Pitcher Larissa Roscher, a Junior, threw hard and favored the outside corner but put little movement on the ball. She permitted two hits, with four strikeouts and one walk. The game ended on a play by Bulldog Right Fielder Charlotte Pirro. The Westfield freshman, sister of Jefferson's senior right fielder, threw to first base from right field for the game's final out. Next up for Jefferson (6-8, 2-6) is another Concorde District matchup. The Colonials play the Chargers at Chantilly on Friday, April 26, at 7 PM.

APRIL 26 -- Jefferson loaded the bases three times, but only a single Colonial made it home as TJ fell 2-1 to Chantilly in a Concorde District game on Friday night. Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart had two hits and scored Jefferson's only run. Jefferson outhit and outpitched Chantilly on its home field and led late in the game, but the Colonials were unable to turn several close plays in the infield to finish off the Chargers. Barnhart got aboard with a single through the gap between shortstop and third base in the fifth inning. She came home following a sacrifice bunt by Junior Katie Firich, a single by Sophomore Mary Nugent and an RBI single to center by Senior Laura Trigeiro. Jefferson also loaded the bases in the fourth and sixth innings, but both frames ended with sharply hit balls caught by Chantilly for a final out. Jefferson preserved its lead through the fifth inning, using two strong defensive plays to stifle a Charger scoring threat which had placed two runners aboard. Senior Jessica Kingsley charged a hard-hit drive to left field and nabbed it on a single hop, preventing the Charger runners from advancing beyond second base; and Junior Laura Peterson got a quick jump on fly ball hit deep to center and chased it down for a critical out. Senior Megan McConnell pitched in by striking out a Chantilly batter as part of the same defensive stand. But the game unraveled for Jefferson in the following inning when the Chargers loaded the bases and brought two runs across the plate. Twice in the inning Jefferson was a half-second too slow or a glove-length short of the outs needed to shut Chantilly down. A heads-up play by TJ Third Baseman Nugent, who chased a retreating Chargers' runner up the third base line to tag her out, finally stopped the Chantilly rally. Attempts at a last-inning comeback, a feat engineered twice this season by the Colonials, failed when Jefferson went down in order in the seventh. For the night, Jefferson had nine hits and left 10 runners on base. The Colonial hits, all singles, were by Nugent, Trigeiro, Kingsley, Peterson, Barnhart, Firich and Junior Katie Atwater. Barnhart and Trigeiro each had two. With Friday's healthy hitting display, Jefferson has now topped the 100-hit mark for the season. McConnell held Chantilly to six hits, with three strikeouts and one walk. The Jefferson ace never went to full count on any batter during her complete game performance. Chantilly Junior Stephanie Jeter also pitched a complete game, striking out three and issuing one walk. Jefferson played without starting Shortsop Laura Tallent, who was ill. A face mask worn on defense by a Chantilly outfielder indicated that left fielders for the Chargers and the Colonials both suffered broken noses this season. Next up for Jefferson (6-9, 2-7) is a non-district contest at Lee on Monday at 5:30 PM. The next district game is Friday at home against South Lakes.

APRIL 29 -- In another nail biter that could have gone either way, the homestanding Lee Lancers pushed across a run with two out in the bottom of the seventh to defeat the Colonials 1-0 on Monday night. TJ knocked on the door the entire seven innings, leaving a total of 13 runners stranded on base. But unlike earlier games, the Colonials were unable to pull away in the later innings. Senior Meghan McConnell pitched a masterful game against the Lancers, giving up only four hits, while striking out five. Junior center fielder Laura Peterson set the early defensive tone in the bottom of the first by doubling a Lee base runner off first base after making a fine catch on a fly ball hit her way. Freshman second baseman Caitlin Rees made several strong defensive plays, including teaming with Senior catcher Lindsey Barnhart to get the second out of the seventh at home plate. On the offensive side, the Colonials had seven hits. Junior Katie Atwater slammed a double, while singles were recorded by Senior Laura Trigeiro, Peterson, McConnell, and Barnhart. Sophomore third baseman Mary Leigh Nugent had two hits. Next up for Jefferson (6-10, 2-7) is a visit from district rival South Lakes at 7PM on Friday, May 3.

MAY 3 -- Jefferson's bats went back into hibernation again as the South Lakes Seahawks took a 1-0 victory from the home-standing Colonials Friday night at TJ. Jefferson managed but three hits in a fast-paced contest which took barely an hour to complete. Senior Left Fielder Jessica Kingsley, Junior Shortstop Laura Tallent and Junior Center Fielder Laura Peterson all hit singles for the Colonials. Once again Senior Pitcher Meghan McConnell performed admirably. She gave up only three hits and struck out three. The Seahawks scored in the top of the fifth inning combining two hits and a sacrifice bunt to produce the only run. Jefferson thought it had tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Tallent reached third base following her single, an error and a wild pitch. Unfortunately, the following batter was declared out at first base in a controversial call which negated the tying run. Next up for the Colonials (6-11, 2-8) is 6 PM game at Centreville on Tuesday, May 7th.

MAY 7 - Centreville Senior Pitcher Krista Brotemarkle delivered a two-hit performance worthy of her school's Senior Night, striking out eight Jefferson batters as the Wildcats defeated the Colonials 3-1. Centreville's batters delivered as well, punching out seven timely hits, including three for extra bases, as the Wildcats appeared to be rounding into tournament form with just a week to go in the regular season. The comeback victory, which lifted Centreville to 8-3 in district play, kept the Wildcats atop the Concorde District standings. Jefferson jumped into the lead in the fourth inning of the Tuesday night game with an extra base hit of its own. A triple to right center field by Senior First Baseman Laura "Sparks" Trigeiro brought home Sophomore Third Baseman Mary Leigh Nugent who had hustled to an infield single. With no outs and a runner on third, the Colonials tried to extend their lead, but Brotemarkle struck out Jefferson Senior Laura Pirro and induced pop ups to the infield by Senior Jessica Kingsley and Junior Laura Tallent. In fact, Kingsley, the Jefferson left fielder, popped up to three different Wildcat infielders in three times at bat, a fate which befell a bevy of TJ batters who faced Brotemarkle's rapid rise ball. The Centreville pitcher was more dominating Tuesday night than in the teams' earlier meeting, bringing more velocity and more ball movement to keep Jefferson batters off balance. Brotemarkle issued no walks and went to a 3-ball count only twice during her complete game performance. Jefferson went down in order in six of seven innings. While the Colonials' offense was mostly missing in action, TJ's defense displayed some late-season polish. The Wildcats captured the lead in the bottom of the fourth when a triple, a double and a single brought home two runs. But with bases loaded and only one out, Jefferson brought its infield in and shut Centreville down. Nugent picked up a hot grounder at third and fired to Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart to get the second out with a force at the plate. Tallent, Jefferson's shortstop, then vacuumed another hard-hit ground ball and threw to first to end the inning. Tallent made five shortstop-to-first base put outs on the night. Centreville scored its third run in the fifth when power-hitting Senior Catcher Taylor Schetzel tripled home a runner from first with no outs, but Jefferson again used solid defense to prevent further damage. Nugent caught Schetzel in a pickle between third and home, and five Jefferson players lined up behind the bases to run the Wildcat catcher back and forth between them until TJ's pitcher, Senior Meghan McConnell, tagged her out. The inning closed with Nugent charging in to pluck a short pop up from the air and firing to Tallent to double a Centreville runner off third. McConnell struck out one, walked one and hit one batter in her complete-game outing. The loss leaves Jefferson at the bottom of the district standings and points toward a possible first-round tournament meeting with either Centreville or Oakton. Next up for the Colonials (6-12, 2-9) is a 7PM Friday, May 10, home game against the Herndon Hornets. Senior Night ceremonies to honor Jefferson's seven senior softballers will begin 15 minutes before game time.

MAY 10 - The senior stars shone brightly, and Jefferson matched Herndon hit for hit, but the Colonials fell to the Hornets 4-1 on Senior Night at TJ. It was a tight contest through six innings before Herndon broke the game open with three runs on three hits in the next to last frame. Despite the loss, Jefferson's seven seniors made a strong showing in their final home game, leading the team in hitting, stealing bases and demonstrating their defensive mettle with several exciting plays, including deep foul balls run down and caught by seniors in right and left fields. Jefferson was all business when it took the diamond Friday night, loading the bases in the first inning on a single to center by Senior Laura Trigeiro and bunt singles by Senior Jessica Kingsley and Junior Laura Tallent. But the Colonials went down in order after that, then committed two throwing errors in the next inning to spot the Hornets a one-run lead. The Colonials tied the game in the bottom of the same inning when a Herndon error gave Jefferson a baserunner, and TJ Senior Michelle Allison turned on the speed to get into scoring position. Allison, who entered the game as a courtesy runner at first base, stole second and third on consecutive pitches, sliding under tags by infielders at both bases. She eventually came home on an RBI single by Trigeiro, her senior classmate. The Colonials then used solid defense to keep the game deadlocked through the next three innings. Senior Right Fielder Laura Pirro made two running catches, one in each fair and foul territory, to help Jefferson stay in it. Junior Second Baseman Katie Firich was effective against a Herndon lineup which sprayed several grounders and pop flies toward the right side of the infield, while Freshman Caitlin Rees filled in ably for regular third baseman Mary Nugent, who was unavailable. But the Hornets cranked up their offense in the sixth, combining a double, two singles and a controversial call at home plate to take a three-run lead. With one out and one run already across the plate, Jefferson Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart appeared to slap a tag on a Herndon runner dashing for home, but game officials scored the run and kept the Hornet drive alive. Kingsley later ran down a deep foul ball in left field for the second out, and Tallent scooped a grounder at short and fired across the diamond to Trigeiro at first to finally end the inning. Jefferson managed one more baserunner during the last two innings but was unable to rally. Senior Ashely Wilson batted in the seventh in an attempt to restart the offense. TJ Senior Pitcher Meghan McConnell turned in another solid outing, limiting Herndon to six hits and issuing no walks. She threw 105 pitches on the night. Herndon Senior Tara Trago also allowed six hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Both pitchers threw complete games. Four of Jefferson's hits came from its seniors: Kingsley and Pirro had one each, and Trigeiro had two. Juniors Katie Atwater and Tallent also had hits for the Colonials. The lone Jefferson run was scored by Allison. The Herndon win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Hornets and pointed the Colonials toward a first-round meeting in the AAA Concorde District tournament with whichever teams finishes the regular season in second place (probably Chantilly). Senior Night festivities preceded Friday's game, with Jefferson Principal Elizabeth Lodal and Athletic Director Mike Dobson joining Varsity Coach Teri Davis and Assistant Coach Carol Horton in congratulating the senior players. Three of the seniors have been on the team since they were freshman and have each played more than 80 games in a Jefferson uniform. Three seniors also finished the 2002 regular season with batting averages of .300 or better. All seven seniors played during the Friday night game. The field was painted and decorated in their honor. The seniors were recognized by a lineup blue-shirted juniors as each senior player was escorted to the center of the diamond by family members. Junior Laura Peterson announced the players, their accomplishments and their future plans and sang the national anthem. Next up for the Colonials (6-13, 2-10) is a first-round district tournament game on Wednesday. May 15.

MAY 15 McConnell, TJ Shut Down Oakton -- Jefferson's seniors refused to let their season end. Pitcher Meghan McConnell hurled a one-hit shutout, and her senior classmates, Laura Trigeiro and Jessica Kingsley, scored the only runs Jefferson needed as the Colonials upended Oakton 2-0 in the first round of the AAA Concorde District Tournament. If the seniors weren't doing it on the mound or in the batter's box, they were doing it on defense. Senior Catcher Lindsey Barnhart notched a pair of crucial outs for Jefferson in the fifth inning, gunning down an Oakton steal attempt at second base, then picking off another runner with a rocket throw to first. The Wednesday night win at Oakton earns Jefferson a ticket to next week's Northern Region Tournament and sends the Colonials forward to a second-round district tournament matchup this Friday night with the winner of the first-round game between Chantilly and South Lakes. The TJ triumph marks the third time in four years that Jefferson has won its way into the regional tournament. McConnell sparkled on the mound against Oakton, tossing only 80 pitches while striking out five Cougar batters and walking two. The only hit against the Jefferson pitcher was a weak single to center in the first inning. The dramatic punctuation to her best pitching performance of the season came in the seventh when McConnell blew a fastball past an Oakton batter to end the game with a strikeout. Jefferson's bats went to work early against the Cougars as singles by Junior Laura Tallent and Trigeiro put a runner in scoring position in the top of the first inning with only one out. A bunt attempt by Kingsley nearly loaded the bases but was called foul when it rolled to a stop on the third base line. The scoring threat ended when Kingsley hit a line shot to the shortstop, and Oakton doubled off Tallent who was caught between second and third. Oakton nearly got a run home in the bottom of the inning, but with Cougar runners at second and third, McConnell fielded a dribbling comebacker and tossed it home to Barnhart, who needed a swiping behind-the-back tag to stop Oakton from scoring. Jefferson finally got on the scoreboard in inning number five. Infield singles by Trigeiro and Kingsley, an Oakton overthrow and stolen base put Jefferson runners on second and third. McConnell then punched a ground ball to the infield, and Trigeiro beat Oakton's throw to the plate to get the scoring started. Kingsley tallied the Colonials' second run when she sprinted home on a wild pitch. After Barnhart threw out two Oakton runners from behind the plate in the bottom of the fifth, Jefferson made another key defensive stand in the sixth inning. With two outs and Cougar runners on first and second, Tallent, Jefferson's shortstop, lunged for a ground ball hit hard up the middle, made the scoop and tagged second base to end the inning and cancel Oakton's final scoring threat. Oakton's Pegnato sisters shared duties on the mound for the Cougars, recording five strikeouts and allowing five hits. Kingsley, Tallent and Barnhart each had one hit for the Colonials. Trigeiro had two. McConnell allowed only two balls out of the infield all night: the base hit to center in the first and a fly ball to right field which was reeled for an out by TJ Senior Laura Pirro. Next up for the Colonials is a second-round district tournament game scheduled for 7:30 PM Friday at South Lakes. The first game of the regional tournament will be played the following Friday afternoon at West Springfield.

MAY 17 -- JEFFERSON ASCENDS TO DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME;
FOUR PLAYERS NAMED TO CONCORDE ALL-STAR TEAMS
Jefferson will play for the Concorde District championship after the Colonial battery drummed out a dozen hits to defeat Chantilly 5-4 in a district semifinal Friday night. Senior first baseman Laura "Sparks" Trigeiro was a perfect four for four at the plate, with three singles, a double and an RBI for the Colonials. Senior Laura Pirro and Junior Katie Firich also rapped out a pair of hits each for Jefferson. The Colonials will face Centreville in Monday's championship after the Wildcats defeated Westfield in the other semifinal. Jefferson's win came on a rain-slickened field against a Chantilly team which had won two of the last four district crowns and swept the Colonials during this year's regular season.
TJ Senior Pitcher Meghan McConnell again laid the groundwork for victory with a solid, complete-game performance, allowing five hits on 94 pitches, with four strikeouts, three walks, and four no-hit innings to open the game. The first Chantilly hit, which came in the fifth, marked the first time in 10 innings of playoff softball, dating back the opening inning of the quarterfinals, that McConnell had yielded a base hit. In a gutsy performance, the senior hurler took the mound wearing a brace to protect an ailing knee. She was held out of the batting order to guard against aggravating her injury. Jefferson struck first against Chantilly, posting two runs in the second frame. Consecutive RBI singles by Junior Laura Peterson and Trigeiro brought home Pirro, who had singled, and Senior catcher Lindsey Barnhart, who had reached base on a fielder's choice. The Chargers put runners on base in the following inning, but Jefferson's infield refused to let them advance, relying on a defensive stand highlighted by Barnhart's throw to Junior shortstop Laura Tallent to gun down a steal attempt at second. Despite the slippery conditions, earlier in the inning the Colonials twice missed turning double plays by only half-a-step. Jefferson threatened to pad its lead in the fourth when singles by Junior Katie Firich and Trigerio put runners in scoring position, and again in the fifth when Sophomore Mary Nugent and Pirro connected for a pair of singles. With two outs and Colonial runners on first and second, Chantilly squelched the latter Jefferson scoring threat when the Charger second baseman sprinted to her left to grab a looping line drive off the bat of Jefferson Junior Katie Atwater. Chantilly finally made a dent in Jefferson's lead in the bottom of the inning, getting two runners aboard on a walk and an error and bringing the first Charger run across on a double blasted deep to left field by Freshman third baseman Sarah Issac. But Jefferson got out of the inning without further damage when Tallent snagged a line drive smacked to her shortstop slot and threw quickly to Nugent at third to double off a Chantilly runner. The decisive scoring drive by the Colonials came in the sixth. Firich singled for the second time, and Trigeiro smashed a double to deep right-center field to place runners at second and third. Firich scored on an RBI single by Tallent, and an overthrow by Chantilly allowed Trigeiro to cross the plate as well. Tallent later raced home on a wild pitch, sliding safely under a tag at the plate. The Chargers rallied again in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs on four hits, including a two-run double by Sophomore right fielder Maggie Poandl. Jefferson then went down in order in the top of the seventh, clinging to a one-run lead as Chantilly came up for its final at-bat. The Chargers got a runner aboard and turned the game into a nailbiter as the potential winning run twice entered the batter's box. But McConnell induced two timely infield pop ups, and Nugent fielded a grounder and fired to first for the final out, securing Jefferson's victory. Stephanie Jeter and Lauren Fowler shared pitching duties for the Chargers, allowing 12 Jefferson hits while striking out three and walking none. Senior Jessica Kingsley, Tallent, Nugent and Peterson all had singles for TJ, while Pirro and Firich had two hits each and Trigeiro had four. It was the team's best offensive output since a 16-hit performance in an extra-inning victory on the same South Lakes field in mid-April. The Jefferson runs were scored by Pirro, Barnhart, Firich, Tallent and Trigeiro. The Colonials (8-13) now ascend to the district championship game for the first time in four years. They enter the final with Cinderella status as the team seeded lowest in the tournament, but they bring with them an all-star cast after Friday's announcement that four Jefferson players
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Trigeiro, Nugent, Kingsley and Tallent -- were named all-district honorees in the Concorde District for the 2002 season. First baseman Trigeiro and third baseman Nugent were named to the first team and left fielder Kingsley and shortstop Tallent were named second team all-district. The announcement marked the second time in three years that Kingsley, Trigeiro and Tallent have been recognized on the all-star list. Kingsley and Tallent were named to the first team and Trigeiro to the second team in previous seasons. Barnhart, the TJ catcher, also holds a second-team all district award from last season. Jefferson will face a Centreville team also decorated with all stars. Wildcat Krista Brotemarkle was named this year's Pitcher of the Year in the Concorde District, and her catcher, Taylor Schetzel, was named Player of the Year. Centreville shortstop Heather Wrenn and right fielder Ashleigh Leasure were named to the all-district first team, while third baseman Stephanie McKee and utility player Kristen Dowling were named second team. The Wildcats (14-4) are the defending Concorde District champions. The district final will be played at 7PM Monday at South Lakes, which is hosting this year's tournament.

Jefferson Is Moving On Up
Seventh-Seeded Colonials Advance to District Final Against Centreville
By Judith Evans
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 18, 2002; Page D09
Seeded last among the seven teams in the Virginia AAA Concorde District, Jefferson advanced to its first district softball final in four years last night, defeating third-seeded Chantilly, 5-4, at South Lakes in Reston.
The Colonials (8-13) led 5-1 early, then staved off a late rally by Chantilly (11-10-1).
"I've been telling the girls that they're the best team with a losing record that I've ever coached," Jefferson Coach Teri Davis said. "We've played all our games really close, and even with a losing record we felt like a good team."
In yesterday's first district semifinal, defending champion Centreville defeated Westfield, 2-0, in a steady rain. Centreville and Jefferson will play for the Concorde crown at 7 p.m. Monday at South Lakes.
In the second semifinal, Jefferson finished with eight hits, getting most of them early on. Junior center fielder Laura Peterson hit an RBI single, and first baseman Laura Trigeiro hit a blooper into center field to score Lindsey Barnhart for a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
Leading 2-1 in the sixth, Colonials shortstop Laura Tallent drove in second baseman Katie Firich, and Trigeiro later scored on an error. Tallent scored Jefferson's final run in the sixth on a wild pitch.
"It finally came together at the right time," said Trigeiro, who went 4 for 5 with an RBI and a run. "Last time we played [Chantilly], we left 10 runners on base. We got the clutch hitting today."
Chantilly mounted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded, sophomore shortstop Jen Swinea scorched a double to center field to score two runs and cut the deficit to 5-3. Jenny Mackin followed with a single to center that scored Swinea.

MAY 20 TJ WINS FIRST CONCORDE DISTRICT CROWN;

MVP KATIE ATWATER DRIVES IN WINNING RUN -- In a Cinderella story laced with high drama, Jefferson won its first ever Concorde District championship Monday night, rising from last place in the standings to defeat district leader Centreville in an extra-inning thriller. Junior designated hitter Katie Atwater was a perfect four for four at the plate and drove in the winning run in the top of the eighth inning to secure the Colonials' 2-1 victory. Jefferson rapped out eight hits overall against Centreville Senior Krista Brotemarkle, the Concorde District Pitcher of the Year, enroute to defeating the Wildcats for the first time in school history. However, the real story may have been on the pitching rubber for the Colonials, where Senior Meghan McConnell was visibly in pain from an ailing knee but outpitched her more decorated opponent, allowing only 7 hits in a complete-game performance. Held out of the batting order for a second consecutive game because of her knee injury, McConnell gutted it out on the mound and didn't walk a single batter. The game was a scoreless defensive duel through five innings before Concorde District Player of the Year Taylor Schetzel, the Centreville catcher, used crafty baserunning to turn a single into a double, then scored on a single to center by teammate Heather Wrenn. That left Jefferson three outs from elimination as the Colonials came up to bat in the seventh, the last inning of regulation play. Atwater singled and was replaced by Senior pinch runner Michelle Allison who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Junior Katie Firich, then scored when a near collision between the Wildcats' shortstop and left fielder resulted in a dropped fly ball. Jefferson was down to its last out when Allison crossed the plate with the tying run. When Centreville failed to score in the bottom of the seventh, the door was open for Jefferson to make history. TJ Sophomore Mary Nugent got into scoring position right away with a double to left center. Senior Jessica Kingsley, batting cleanup, then tried desperately to lay down a sacrifice bunt to advance Nugent to third, but the Colonials' left fielder was rung up on a high strike hurled by Brotemarkle after fouling off two bunt attempts. Senior Laura Pirro then reached base on fielder's choice as Nugent slid into third inches ahead of the throw by the Wildcat shortstop. Senior catcher Lindsey Barnhart almost delivered the decisive blow when she grounded to the infield with one out, but Nugent was cut down by a throw to home plate. With two outs and runners at the corners, Atwater notched her fourth hit of the night, a single to center field which brought Pirro home and captured the lead for Jefferson. Centreville had no answer in the bottom of the eighth. The game ended with the Colonials' Junior shortstop, Laura Tallent, digging a grounder out from deep in the hole and zipping it to first for the final out. The final box score showed four hits by Atwater, plus singles by Barnhart, Pirro and Tallent, and a double by Nugent. Brotemarkle struck out nine Jefferson batters. The game-ending out brought cheers from a sizable group of Colonials' fans who had made the trip to the South Lakes High School game site, and it sent Jefferson players rushing into one another's arms at the center of the infield. When the championship trophy was presented to Coach Teri Davis, Senior Captains Kingsley, Barnhart and McConnell grabbed it and hoisted it overhead as the team celebration continued. Several Jefferson players were honored in ceremonies before, during and after the playoff game. Atwater was named MVP of the Concorde District Tournament, while McConnell, Tallent and Senior First Baseman Laura Trigeiro were named to the All-Tournament Team. Trigeiro, Nugent, Kingsley and Tallent were recognized as members of the All-District Teams for their play during the regular season. Trigeiro and Nugent were named first team, and Kingsley and Tallent were named to the second team. Next up for the Colonials (9-13) is the opening round of the Northern Region Tournament. The Concorde District Champion Colonials will play the fourth-seeded team from the Liberty District in a Friday game to be played at Jefferson.

Colonials become magnificent seven

MAY 24 -- The Concorde District Champion Thomas Jefferson Colonials blasted their way into the quarterfinals of the Northern Region softball tournament Friday, pounding out 15 hits enroute to a 10-1 trouncing of the Fairfax Rebels of the Liberty District.
Jefferson left fielder Jessica Kingsley, shortstop Laura Tallent and third baseman Mary Nugent led the Colonial attack, combining for nine hits and seven runs scored. All three players went three for four at the plate and had at least one extra-base hit, setting a torrid offensive pace in Jefferson's final home game of the season. It was the fourth consecutive post-season win for Jefferson, which won its first Concorde District crown four days earlier.
The win in Friday's opening round regional tournament game was also the first home win of the season for Jefferson (10-13). Against Fairfax, the Colonials scored at least one run in five of their six at-bats. TJ right fielder Laura Pirro also joined the three-hit club, with three singles. Meanwhile, the pitching of Jefferson Senior Meghan McConnell shut down the Rebels, limiting them to one run on four hits during her six and one-third innings on the mound. McConnell struck out the side in the second inning on her way to a season-high seven strikeouts for the game. Playing before their biggest crowd of the season, the Colonials got on the board right away when Kingsley singled home Nugent, who had gotten herself into scoring position with a double to deep center. After Kingsley stole second, consecutive singles by Senior Laura Pirro and classmate Lindsey Barnhart, the Jefferson catcher, brought two runners home to give Jefferson a 3-run lead it would never relinquish. The hot hitting by the Colonials continued in the second inning when a double by Senior Laura Trigeiro and singles by Junior Tallent and Sophomore Nugent led to two more Jefferson runs. The Rebels struck back in inning number three, using a Jefferson overthrow and a single by their senior leadoff hitter, Rocky Wigenton, to put their only run on the board. Jefferson scored again in the bottom of the inning when senior courtesy runner Michelle Allison stole second base and came home on a hit by Junior designated hitter Katie Atwater. In the following inning, Tallent doubled to center field, stole third and scored on a wild pitch. Kingsley, a senior, followed up by ripping a double to the left field fence, then racing home to score on an overthrow when Pirro rapped her third single of the day. The Colonials bought two final insurance runs in the sixth inning on a single to left by Tallent, a triple to left by Nugent and an infield single by Kingsley. The Colonials' 15-hit performance marked their second best day of offensive production this season. Jefferson had five extra-base hits on the afternoon, a season high. Trigeiro, Barnhart and Atwater had one hit apiece, including a double by Trigeiro. Kingsley, Pirro, Tallent and Nugent had three hits each, with doubles by Kingsley and Tallent, and a double and triple by Nugent. The Jefferson runs were scored by Allison, Trigeiro and Pirro, who each scored once; Kingsley and Nugent, who scored twice; and Tallent, who scored three times. McConnell threw 80 pitches and walked two batters. She threw 12 first-pitch strikes and worked to no-ball, two-strike counts on eight occasions. McConnell exited in the seventh inning to a loud ovation from the crowd, giving way to Freshman reliever Weilin Yang. Yang worked two thirds of an inning, allowing no runs on one hit and no walks. Fairfax pitcher Erin Strayer gave up 15 hits over six innings of work, with one strikeout and no walks. TJ Senior Ashley Wilson put in an appearance as first-base coach for the second consecutive game.
The Colonials now advance to a regional quarterfinal game at 11 AM Monday, May 27, at West Springfield High School, which is playing host to this year's Northern Region Tournament. Jefferson's opponent will be decided by an opening-round game pitting the number two seed from the National District against the three seed from the Patriot District. Teams defeated by Jefferson in its post-season run to date include Oakton, Chantilly, Centreville and Fairfax.

Bruins, Colonials Tangle Again

27 May Storybook Season Ends; Colonials Fall to Bruins- Jefferson loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the platewith one inning to go, but a comeback was not in the cards, and the Colonials' remarkable playoff run finally ended Monday afternoon with a 7-3 loss to the Lake Braddock Bruins. The Colonials opened the door for the Bruins with a pair of second inning errors, and Lake Braddock took full advantage, adding five hits, including a three-run home run, to tally seven runs and earn a trip to the semifinals of the Northern Region Tournament. The Bruins' win ends a storybook season for Jefferson which won its first Concorde District Championship one week ago and saw seven of its players awarded district and regional honors in the postseason. TJ had a lackluster record during the regular season but emerged as a force in the playoffs, rising from the seventh and lowest seeding in the district tournament to eventually claim the Concorde crown. The title game also marked Jefferson's first ever win over district rival Centreville, and a subsequent trouncing of the Fairfax Rebels propelled Jefferson into the regional quarterfinals. Against Lake Braddock, the Colonials played six innings of shutout ball, but the one inning of scoring by the Bruins was the biggest by a Jefferson opponent all year. Lake Braddock Pitcher Lauren Duda capped the Bruin scoring drive by lofting a 215-foot home run over the left field fence. The Colonials began battling back in the fourth inning, raising hopes of another patented Jefferson comeback. Junior Laura Tallent and Sophomore Mary Leigh Nugent singled, and Senior Jessica Kingsley drew a walk to load the bases. Tallent and Nugent scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Senior Laura Pirro and ground ball to the left side by Senior Lindsey Barnhart, but the inning ended on a strikeout with Kingsley left on base. Jefferson turned up the defensive intensity in the fifth inning when Barnhart, the catcher, fired to second to gun down a Lake Braddock steal attempt, and the defensive momentum carried forward as the Colonials put the Bruins down in order in the sixth. Jefferson staged its final rally in the bottom of the inning. Once again the spark plug was Tallent, the shortstop, who was a perfect three for three at the plate on the afternoon. She singled, took second on an overthrow, advanced to third on a fly ball to center by Nugent, and scored on a wild pitch, bringing Jefferson to within four runs of the Bruins. With a Jefferson rally under way, tension and expectations rose in the large Colonials' cheering contingent when Lake Braddock's Duda walked the bases full with two outs, placing Pirro at third, Senior Michelle Allison at second, and Junior Katie Atwater at first. Worried, the Bruins called a timeout and huddled at the pitcher's mound to regroup. Junior Kate Firich came to the plate representing the potential tying run. Firich took a strong cut at a Duda drop ball but grounded it back to the pitcher, who went to first base to retire the side. In the last inning, Jefferson's hopes briefly rose again when Junior Laura Peterson drove a high fly ball to within ten feet of the outfield fence, but the Lake Braddock center fielder ran it down and made the catch. The season ended on a pop up to short by Senior Laura Trigeiro, a ground ball to the infield by Nugent, and with Kingsley waiting on deck. Senior Meghan McConnell threw 103 pitches in a complete-game outing, allowing 10 hits, with three strikeouts and a walk. Duda had four strikeouts for Lake Braddock and issued five walks. Jefferson had four hits, three by Tallent and one by Nugent, all singles. Tallent scored twice for the Colonials, and Nugent scored once. In a pre-game ceremony, Barnhart was recognized as a member of the Scholastic All-Region Softball Team, a group selected from among players in the region who maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or above and were starters or important reserves on their teams. Trigeiro was named to the All-Region Second Team for her play during the season, and Nugent given Honorable Mention for her play. Jefferson concluded the season with a record of 10 wins and 14 losses. The Colonials scored 71 runs over their 24 games, versus 76 scored by their opponents. Five Jefferson players (Trigeiro, Nugent, Kingsley, Pirro and Tallent) had 20 or more base hits during the season, and Trigeiro, Nugent and Kingsley finished with batting averages above .300. Senior Michelle Allison led the team in stolen bases with seven. Pirro led the team in RBI with eleven. Trigeiro had the highest batting average and the highest on-base percentage, and Nugent had the most extra base hits, with five doubles and three triples. McConnell posted and ERA of 1.90 with 70 strikeouts through 23 games. Next up for the Colonials and their fans is the Spring Awards Evening and cookout on Monday, June 3, in the stadium at TJ. For those with reservations, dinner and desert is scheduled for 5:30 to 6:30 PM. The main awards program will begin at 7 PM, followed by break-out sessions for individual team awards starting at about 7:45 PM.

Seven-Run Inning Subdues Jefferson in Region Quarterfinal

NORTHERN REGION SOFTBALL TOURNEY