softball
Jordan makes most
of chance for Eagles
Pitcher goes distance in spot start, drives in two runs
When Northeast's Christina Jordan was given the start against Glen Burnie on Wednesday, one of the reasons was to give regular starter Jenna Matulonis a break.
The way she pitched, Jordan might have earned herself a few more starts the rest of the year.
Jordan pitched a complete game and gave up three runs on five hits while doubling in two runs in the Eagles' 10-3 victory over Glen Burnie.
“I felt pretty good. It was a little nerve-wracking, but other than that it was pretty good,” Jordan said. “Once I knew my defense had my back, it settled me.”
“The first inning, the butterflies were there a little bit, but then she settled,” Northeast coach Joe Hart said. “Jenna is a good pitcher and I was trying to take some pressure off of her. I didn't want to throw [Jordan] to the wolves in the middle of a game, so I figured today we were going to find out and see what we got.”
Three of the first four hitters reached in the first for the Gophers, who already had a run in and runners at the corners. Alexis Brengle cut down Shaianne Turner trying to steal second for the second out, then Jordan got Taylor James to fly out to right to end the inning.
Once the defense got the Eagles out of the first inning trailing by a run, the offense scored all the runs Northeast needed in the bottom of the inning. Matulonis drove in Sarah Gordon with a sacrifice fly, Brengle singled in a run and Jordan doubled in two more to make it 4-1 after one.
Northeast scored four more times in the bottom of the third to extend its lead. Brengle's suicide squeeze scored Coral Dittmar, Tori Collins hit a sacrifice fly to score another run and Veronica Hampton's two-run single made it 8-1 after three.
“We got the bunts down, hit the ball well and did all the little things we needed to do,” Hart said. “They did everything right.”
Hannah Eslick doubled in a run in the first and doubled and scored in the sixth for the Gophers. Glen Burnie had three other hits — all singles — and got RBIs in the sixth from Brooke McCormick and James.
The Gophers didn't help themselves by committing four errors and missing signs on the base paths.
“Fundamentally, we just weren't sound today,” Glen Burnie coach Dave Sauble said. “We made a lot of routine mistakes, and the irritating part is it was stuff we just went over yesterday.”
Hampton and Gordon each had a pair of hits for the Eagles, who will play at North County on Friday.