St. Mary's all-stars fall in state softball tournament

Coaches and players from the St. Mary’s Little League Softball 10-12 All-Stars were hoping for a much better end to the Maryland state tournament that they hosted this week at the Southern Maryland Youth Organization Field in Pomfret, but many of them departed somewhat tearfully on Monday evening after they were upended by South County 11-5 in an elimination game.

St. Mary’s had won the District 7 title and advanced to the state tournament with high hopes of earning another crown. But on Sunday morning St. Mary’s suffered an 11-1 setback to Brunswick, then on Monday the local squad squandered an early 3-2 lead over South County and eventually fell 11-5 in head coach Jason Zonca’s last game at the helm of the team.

“A lot of these girls have played together for me with the Southern Maryland Ospreys,” Zonca said. “They really came in here and battled the other teams and the heat. Our two pitchers, Ellaina [Zonka] and Brooklyn Etter were both really good for us all season. Our batters at the top of the order were really good in both games.”

South County scored two runs in the top of the first against Zonca on Monday, but St. Mary’s immediately responded with three runs in the home half of the frame against hurler Trinity Jenkins. First baseman Paige Sanders delivered a two-run double that plated Leah Garcia and Savannah Cusic to provide the hosts with their only lead of the game.

South County drew even against St. Mary’s in the top of the fourth and then finally chased Zonca in the fifth. Etter was summoned from center field with the bases loaded and none out after Zonca walked in a run, but she was rudely greeted by Natalie Claros who drove in two runs with a single to left center and later Kloe Yates added a run-scoring single to right.

South County added three more runs in the top of the sixth against Etter, getting the last two on a double by Kadyn Fulton. In the meantime, Jenkins held St. Mary’s scoreless for four straight innings before the host’s bats belatedly came alive in the sixth when Garcia singled in one run and Cusic added another with a double. Jenkins, however, escaped further harm and collected the win on a night when she fanned 12 batters.