The Maggie Walker softball team caught Patrick Henry by surprise at the beginning of the season with a 15-6 win on the Patriots’ home field.

  On Thursday afternoon, No. 3 Patrick Henry was not in a mood to be surprised again. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning en route to an 11-2 win over the No. 8 Dragons.

  Patrick Henry head coach Matt Crowder said his team contributed to the season-opening loss by not being focused. “The last game, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong,” he said.

  Patriot third baseman Sam Moore agreed. “We weren’t ready to play last time,” she said. “Being the first game of the season we were kind of relaxed about it.”

  Therefore, focus was No. 1 on the preparation list when the Patriots traveled to Henderson Middle School Sports Complex for the rematch.

  A day after handing No. 7 J.R. Tucker their first Colonial District loss in a 3-2, eight-inning, come from behind win, Patrick Henry (8-1, 5-1 Colonial) did not want to suffer a letdown against the Dragons.

  “For us it was real important to jump on them quick and kind of put the pressure on them,” Crowder said.

  With one out in the top of the first, Shanley O’Day and Madison Gilman reached on singles. Then Moore belted a two-RBI triple into deep center. Moore made the lead 3-0 on a RBI single from Katie Woody.

  Patrick Henry junior pitcher Emma Mitchell then went to work on the mound, holding the Dragons without a hit until the bottom of sixth while recording 11 strikeouts on the day.

  Maggie Walker head coach Jeff Elliott said his batters did themselves no favors in facing a quality pitcher such as Mitchell. “Today we got behind the count then she’d throw the rise ball and we didn’t have a chance.”

  Gilman made the PH lead 4-0 in the top of the fifth on a RBI single from Ashley Samuels and the Patriots broke the game open in the top of the sixth.

  With one out, PH notched six consecutive singles, scoring three runs in the process. Then with two on base, Allison Tingler provided the clincher with an inside the park home run, giving the Patriots a 10-0 cushion.
  “It’s a deep outfield here so if you get it past the outfielder you’re in good shape,” Tingler said. “I just tried to keep my shoulder in and drive it.”

  Tingler’s shot went over the head of Dragon centerfielder Maddie Wyatt and took off.

  “Once it hit the hard outfield it just started rolling and rolling and rolling,” Crowder said. “I was going to send (Tingler). She was moving too. That was about as fast as I’ve seen her move in a while.”

  The Dragon offense showed signs of life in the bottom the sixth when Betsy Surma led off with a double and came home on a single from Tiyanna Stewart. Lindsay Maguire later scored on a hit from Mariel Jorgensen.

  Gilman added one more run for the Patriots in the seventh off a double from Samuels.

P. Henry….. 3 0 0 0 1 6 1 – 11- 18- 0
MWGS..…. 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 –  2-  4- 5
Mitchell and Gilman (PH), Kriva and Stewart (MWGS) W: Mitchell, L: Kriva
Highlights: MW - Betsy Surma – 1-for-2 double. PH - Madison Gilman 4-for-5 Ashley Samuels – 3-for-4, 2 doubles; Allison Tingler – 3-for-4, inside the park HR Emma Mitchell -11 k’s.