Reaching state tournaments this spring season was something familiar for one Yorktown High School team, but a new experience for a second.
Getting there marked a first for the girls softball team, but was old hat for the previous state-champion boys lacrosse squad.
Both teams lost to the eventual champion in the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 season-ending playoff competitions before reaching the title games.
Softball season ends with 18-7 record
Despite building a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning, the softball team fell in the semifinals at Independence High School to the Grassfield Grizzlies, 6-5, on June 12 in Ashburn.
Yorktown was 1-1 in its first state tourney, blanking host Independence, 7-0, in a first-round game.
The Patriots finished their best season ever with an 18-7 overall record. They also had program bests of taking second in the 6D North Region and winning the Liberty District tournaments.
In the loss to Grassfield, Yorktown had a runner on third with one out in the top of the seventh inning, but did not score.
For Yorktown, Kaiya Ovando hit a solo homer, Bethany Panza tripled and Kiersten Pawluk and Samantha White had RBI singles.
The Yorktown players were disappointed over the loss to Grassfield, but the season was considered a big success under first-year head coach Chris Cardinale.
“The players kept practicing and playing hard, and that paid off,” Cardinale told ARLnow.
Against Independence, Ovando, Panza and Noa Kammerman each had two hits; Pawluk doubled and singled; White had a two-run single; and Sejal Lee had a hit, three RBI and sacrifice bunts.
Kaya Randall and Kiran Lee combined for the shutout. Randall started and pitched six innings and Lee worked the seventh. Randall allowed three hits, struck out four and walked six.
Yorktown qualified for the state tournament by finishing second in the 6D North Region tournament, losing on its home field to the Madison Warhawks, 9-0, in the finals. The Patriots had just one hit and one baserunner in that loss.
The hit was a two-out single to left in the fourth inning by Randall.
Madison had seven hits and took advantage of four Yorktown errors, eight walks, a hit batter and multiple wild pitches.
Yorktown was 2-1 in the region, with all three games at home.
The Patriots defeated Westfield, 7-2, in the first round then South Lakes, 6-2, in the semifinals. Randall was the winning pitcher in both.
Among top hitters in those region wins were Ovando with a homer and two doubles; Randall with a homer; Jana Young with a two-run double; and Panza, Kammerman and Annabelle Wolff added big hits.
Lacrosse team ends season 16-5
The Yorktown boys lacrosse team has played in multiple state tournaments in recent years.
This spring, the Patriots lost to host and eventual state champion Independence, 11-10, in a first-round state-tournament match.
The Patriots led for much of the game, but Independence, which finished 21-0, scored the last couple of goals to pull out the win.
Nate Randles had five goals and three assists to lead Yorktown. Mikey Cowan had two goals, Eli Pilch had a goal and two assists, Xavier Alford had a goal and one assist, and Logan Kaetzel had one goal. Yorktown goalie Nicky Palma made 13 saves.
The Patriots finished the season with a 16-5 record, were second in the region tournament and won the Liberty District tourney.
“We thought we had a good chance to do this well in the playoffs like we have in past recent seasons,” Yorktown coach Greg Beer said.
