The Bishop O’Connell Knights and Yorktown Patriots won key league games in girls softball action miles apart on April Fools’ Day — and by the same close scores.
O’Connell (8-0, 5-0) topped the host St. Mary’s Ryken Knights, 3-1, in southern Maryland in a clash between top longtime rival high-school teams in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.
Host Yorktown (2-2, 1-1) held off the defending Liberty District tournament champion Langley Saxons, also 3-1.
For O’Connell, Annie Van Dyck pitched a five-hitter with four strikeouts to get the win. She walked three and allowed one earned run.
With the bat, Callie Lissenden had two hits, with a double, and two RBI, while Bri Lencz also had two hits. Ari Clark had an RBI and Gigi Payne, M.J. Melvin and Abby Bond had the other hits.
O’Connell scored two runs in the top of the first inning and one in the seventh.
Senior pitcher Samantha Parker hurled a complete game for Yorktown. She scattered seven hits, struck out nine and did not walk a batter. Parker struck out the side in the final inning, battling back from a 3-1 count against the second hitter.
Parker also benefited from strong defense, including a double play to end a scoring threat in the fourth inning.
Right fielder Kassen Foreman caught a fly ball, then threw out a runner at home as catcher Margaret Flannery-Goodman applied the tag.
Yorktown scored a run in the first inning as a result of Langley’s defensive miscues. The Patriots added two in the second on an RBI triple by Malena Cardinale and a run-scoring single by Sophia Giambalvo. Audrey Pocrass singled earlier in the inning.
Yorktown had just those three hits, as the Patriots struck out 14 times against Langley ace pitcher Norah Jacques.
In a previous district game, Yorktown lost to the 2023 state-champion McLean Highlanders, 5-2.
