Ryan Duvall ‘21

It wasn’t always easy to get there, but Sherwood girls softball is playing in the 4A championship game against Glen Burnie this Saturday at 7:30 at the University of Maryland Softball Complex. This comes after Sherwood defeated Bowie 3-2 this past Tuesday in thrilling fashion when freshman Summer Green scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of junior Gracie Manlapaz in the top of the seventh inning. Junior pitcher Samantha Combs finished off a complete game and held Bowie scoreless in the bottom of the inning to secure the victory for the team.
“I can’t even contain how excited I am to be in states,” exclaimed Manlapaz. “We couldn’t have made it here without my awesome coaches and amazing teammates.”
Sherwood previously defeated Howard 8-5 in the regional championship on May 17. The Warriors started out strong, taking a 5-0 lead into the fourth inning, but Howard came storming back and tied the game up in the fifth. Sherwood took back the lead with two runs in the sixth inning to keep the game out of reach.
“This team, whether it’s me as the only senior or our huge junior class, none of us have a ring and we all want it so bad,” said senior Grace Ronan.
The Warriors also got through Urbana in another heart-pounding game of their playoffs run. The game started off well for the Warriors with a three-run first inning, including a home run by junior Christi Mathis. Later on in the fourth inning, the game seemed like it was about to turn in Urbana’s favor, but the Warriors kept their composure and got out of a bases-loaded situation. However, a home run by Urbana tied the game up.
Sherwood came through with a 4-3 win, though, after sophomore Ally Bloom hit a walk-off RBI single. “It felt great to be there for my team when they were counting on me,” said Bloom.
Glen Burnie, from Anne Arundel County, comes into the state final against Sherwood after knocking off Whitman 3-1 in the other semi-final on Tuesday. The 19-3 Gophers are ranked No. 7 in the state by The Washington Post, and the 20-1 Warrior are at No. 4. The Warriors are going for their first state championship since winning five in a row from 2012-2016.