Vikings cry, "Mercy!"

APRIL 29, MONTGOMERY BLAIR STADIUM-

The Blazers' win over the Whitman Vikings tonight was sealed on a play in the bottom of the fourth that exemplified the girls' overall team performance: Freshman Anna Szapiro hit a bases-loaded triple to put the Blazers up by ten runs, 11-1. That margin was just enough to end the game in the top of the fifth by slaughter rule.

Szapiro's hit (her first extra-base hit of the season) was the capper, but the girls played their best softball of the season throughout the game. It was the first time the girls had no defensive errors. Freshman pitcher Michelle Linford was a fighter from the rubber, even when her pitches started to go high. The Vikings put runners in scoring position in two separate innings with one out, only to have Linford pitch her way out with a few strikeouts. Linford also had a home run, her third of the year.

Coach Louis Hoelman was thrilled by his team's performance. "We talk about improving every game and I think we started to do that," he said. "I feel happy that we did everything tonight we had to do against a team that we should beat."

The Vikings scored first, on a ground ball to Linford that she threw to first base. It was all Blair from there on out. Linford hit a two-run in the bottom of the first. Senior shortstop Amy Ernst hit a beautiful slap to put the Blazers up 3-1 in the second and senior first baseman Katherine Epstein hit an RBI triple in the third to raise the Blazers' lead to three. From there it wasn't even close. Linford hit a three-run double in the fourth and then stole home: 8-1. Then came Szapiro's blast to left field and Blair had not only batted around in the fourth inning, it had reached the mercy rule cutoff.

This is the second win in a row for the Blazers; they avenged last year's playoff loss to Springbrook last night. The team's record now stands at 5-5, the first time the Blazers have been at .500 since they started division play. They look to continue the upward trend at B-CC, this Saturday, May 1, at 2 p.m.