Arguably the longest week of the season for Rising Sun’s softball team ended on a high note Friday afternoon. The fifth-ranked Tigers defeated No. 11 Patterson Mill, 5-0, in an UCBAC Chesapeake contest in Cecil County.
Jocelyn McMillan went 3-for-4 with a RBI for Rising Sun, and University of South Alabama recruit Cadence Williams knocked in a run and pitched a complete game 2-hitter. Jayden Simpkins added an RBI single.
The Tigers (9-1 overall, 6-0 Chesapeake) were solid in all facets, handing Patterson Mill its first regular season defeat since 2019. It was the fourth straight game this week for Rising Sun, which had a makeup game Thursday along with regularly scheduled matches Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
“The biggest thing was the defense was there all game,” said Tigers coach Paul Taylor. “It was a well-played game.”
Taylor commended junior third basemen Jordan Lynch who cleanly handled several shots off the Huskies’ bats. Williams struck out 6 in her second complete game effort of the spring.
The Tigers provided all the support she would need in the second as Lynch singled and scored on Simpkins’ single to right field. In the third, Sam Dixon reached on an error and later stole home for a 2-0 advantage.
McMillan, who singled and stole second, crossed the plate on Williams’ hit in the third. In the fifth, McMillan doubled and advanced to third on a passed ball. She scored on Faith McCullough’s fly out.
McMillan (2 runs scored) doubled home Dixon in the sixth for Rising Sun’s final run. Dixon reached on a single and stole second to move into scoring position.
Lily Baldwin’s double and Aubrey March’s single was the only offense for Patterson Mill (6-1, 5-1 Chesapeake), which lost its first regular season game since May 1, 2019 - a stretch of 43 games.
Huskies coach Jeff Horton said Friday’s loss was something his team can “grow with.”
“Our pitchers did a good job keeping us in the game,” said Horton. “A couple of drop balls…our defense was as stout as we needed it to be.”
Horton did find solace with his squad striking out just six times against Williams, who fanned 18 as Patterson Mill rallied for a 3-2 victory at Rising Sun last April. The Huskies won the first match, 2-0, early last April, on Madison Knight’s 2-run home run in the bottom of the eighth.
Patterson Mill fanned 10 times against Williams, who guided the Tigers to the Class 2A state title game last May.
“She’s very good at hitting her spots. We were able to adjust some,” said Horton. “She has command of all her pitches…I don’t think they’re losing another game.”
With seven starters back among 12 returning letterwinners, Rising Sun has its sights on the 2A crown after losing to Southern Maryland’s Calvert in extra innings (5-4) last May at the University of Maryland.
“We got the talent,” said Taylor, whose team has won 9 straight after a season-opening loss to Delaware’s Laurel. “We have to execute.”
NO. 5 RISING SUN 5, NO. 11 PATTERSON MILL 0
Patterson Mill 000 000 0 - 0 2 3
Rising Sun 012 011 x - 5 9 0
Baldwin, March (4), Miller (6) and Baldwin; Williams and Cole
2B: Patterson Mill - Baldwin; Rising Sun - McMillan
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