The top-seeded Warriors entered their 4A West Region quarterfinal playoff game at Springbrook yesterday without their coach. It was the Monday after Sherwood’s prom, so the girls’ focus might not have returned fully to softball. And lightning in the third inning caused a 25-minute delay.

But the Warriors found none of that as unusual as the final score, which showed ninth-seeded Springbrook ahead, 8-3. Playing without coach Pat Flanagan, who missed the game due to personal reasons, the Warriors were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field. All eight runs off Michele Wanzer were unearned; six came in the first inning. And the opportunistic Blue Devils took advantage, while playing crisply enough in the field to hold the lead.

"I just think our heads weren’t as into it as we could have been," Wanzer said. "It was tough without our coach, but I think it was mainly our playing. We had so many errors."

After Sherwood scored two runs in the top of the first inning, Springbrook shocked the Warriors with a six-run bottom of the inning. Five straight Blue Devils reached base with two outs. Melissa Samowitz’s ground ball to shortstop would have ended the inning, but Sandra Wittke misplayed a tough hop and Erika Holt, Laura Dillon and Sarah Donnelly followed with consecutive singles. A throwing error by freshman catcher Katie Obal compounded Sherwood’s problems, allowing two runs to score.

After that, the Blue Devils rode pitcher Colleen Callan, who scattered six hits and struck out five. During the regular season, Sherwood rallied from a 6-3 deficit in the last inning to beat Springbrook, 7-6, but this time the Blue Devils held on. 

Without injured catcher Jennifer George, the team’s top player, the Blue Devils still have reached the 4A West semifinals and were ecstatic about yesterday’s upset win.

"This meant a lot, especially because this is my second year on varsity and this was the fourth time we played them and we lost the other three times," Callan said. "So I really wanted this game, because I didn’t want to lose to them a fourth time."

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