Highland captures second state title

Staff Report
Published: May 18, 2008

It took 21 innings and 250 pitches, but Maire Shaughnessy and the Highland softball team left Richmond with another state title Saturday.

Morgan Stephens doubled in the top of the 12th inning to bring Ella Miller around to score and the Hawks defeated Greenbriar Christian Academy 2-0 Saturday afternoon to capture their second consecutive VISAA Division II state title.

Just hours earlier, Highland defeated Brunswick Academy 4-3 in nine innings to advance to the state finals for the third consecutive season.

Postponements forced the Saturday doubleheader.

Shaughnessy had a long day, pitching all 21 innings. She struck out six and gave up one earned run in the first game, then stepped it up a notch in round two, striking out nine batters against the state’s top-ranked team.

The Hawks played the underdog role throughout the entire tournament. Hard hit by graduation after winning the title last spring, the Hawks entered as the No. 6 seed, but had no trouble knocking off the top two teams Saturday.

“We came down with a chip on our shoulders,” Highland coach Donald O’Meara said. “We had something to prove.”

Hannah Safren and Miller combined to provide the offense for the Hawks (15-8) in the semifinals. Safren finished 2 for 4 at the plate with a triple and three RBI. Miller finished 2 for 5, including an ninth-inning RBI double that proved to be the difference.

“Everybody as a team was unbelieveable,” O’Meara said. “It was a complete team effort.”