The hitters produced. The defense was excellent. The pitcher dominated. The result was an emphatic 10-0 victory for top-ranked Eastern Tech over Hereford in the Baltimore County softball championship game at the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville on Tuesday.
It was the fifth consecutive county title for Eastern Tech, and it took only 4½ innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Sophomore windmiller Jodie Bronushas gave up two hits and struck out four batters across five innings to help Eastern Tech extend its winning streak to 43 games.
The Mavericks' offense was led by Sarah Heagy (2-for-3, 3 RBIs), Emma Lamartina (3-for-3, RBI), Brooke Samios-UY (3 walks, 3 runs scored) and Keri Klimko (2 RBIs, 2 runs).
"We are doing all the little things right," Eastern Tech coach Jack Meyers said. "The baserunning was awesome today. We took enough pitches to get walks. Then all sudden, you get some hits and we score some runs."
The Mavericks (18-0) battered freshman pitcher McKenzy Hall for nine runs on six hits in two innings.
Hall replaced starting pitcher and sophomore Erin Collins after two innings. Collins yielded four hits and one run and stuck out two in two innings.
"Erin was feeling some tightness in her elbow, and we wanted to make sure that she was going to be healthy for the rest of the season," Hereford coach Laura Blama said. "McKenzy pitched a brilliant game against Bel Air Monday. We were confident she could go out there and throw strikes, but it was a lot of pressure for a freshman to pitch in a county championship game."
Eastern Tech scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on Heagy's single to right field, which scored Samios-UY. The Mavericks added two more runs in the third as Giselle Alvarez and Jenn January highlighted the inning with RBIs.
Then the Mavericks erupted for seven runs in the fourth and sent 13 batters to the plate.
Klimko, a senior leftfielder, and Heagy, a junior catcher, each had a two-run single.
"We played Hereford earlier in the season and it was a pretty close game for us," Samios-UY said of the 9-2 victory March 30 in Parkton. "So we really wanted to come out and dominate them. We really did that and everyone stepped up."
Samios-UY, Klimko, Alvarez and January have played on four county championships teams in their high school career.
"We just love winning," said Samios-UY, whose team is expected to play Hereford in eight days in a Class 2A North Region semifinal. "This team is just amazing. We always work so hard and our teamwork is great."