Falcon Softball Enjoying Pressure, Successes

Though Severna Park came up on the wrong end of a 1-0, nine-inning loss at Broadneck on April 22, the Falcons took the setback in stride.

A spirited showing in that contest, combined with dominance over other opponents and a chance to show growth in a rematch with Northeast from earlier in the season, Severna Park is moving forward toward what it hopes is an elusive region championship.

The 12-game stretch out of spring break to close the regular season provided multiple challenges, highlighted by the game against Broadneck. The teams combined for five hits and 31 strikeouts, as Severna Park junior Quinlyn Bary dueled her opposite number from Broadneck, Rylan Crusafulli.

Predictably the bats went dormant for both teams, the defense rose to the occasion, and one run was all it would take.

“Something was going to squeak by at some point. I did think it was going to be us in the top of the (ninth) inning, but both defenses were lights out. Anytime someone tried to make it happen, the defenses were both right there,” said Severna Park coach Bailey Benedick. “I remember being here back when I was a sophomore and we had a 10-inning game here to beat them for the first time in five years. I love when both of these teams are that good, because it makes it so much more fun every time you do this.”

Despite the loss, the Falcons were in county championship contention to the very end. They rebounded to beat Old Mill 13-3 and Crofton 10-0, but lost 10-3 to Northeast. They closed the regular season May 1 with the resumption of a suspended game with North County, tied 2-2 in the seventh inning.

Earlier in the month they ripped off seven straight wins, with four shutouts in the first five of those games: an 11-1 win over South River, followed by shutouts of Meade (19-0), Annapolis (14-0), Glen Burnie (15-0), and Southern (11-0).

They then capped the run with an emotional week, including a 7-6 win over Chesapeake and a 4-0 win over Arundel, in a game dedicated to the memory of Lauryn Bary, who passed away in October and has two daughters on the softball team.

Severna Park sits at 13-4 and faces North County on May 4. Depending on the outcome of that game, the Falcons will enter the playoffs in contention for the top seed in 3A’s East 2 region tournament.

“They’re showing already how much growth has come over the last couple of years. We just keep adding a little bit more every year,” Benedick said. “We learned a lot of really good things (against Broadneck). The amount of pressure they were under and they just went with it in stride. Mentally we’re there; we’re ready to go, and we just need to work on the execution piece, because the end goal is states.”