Vienna — The Madison High girls' softball team saw its season end in disappointing fashion with a pair of postseason losses. Nevertheless, it was an overall successful and winning campaign for head coach John Schneeberger's Warhawks.
Madison, at the eight-team Liberty District tournament, reached the finals with victories over Fairfax High, 11-0 in the quarterfinals, and McLean High, 7-3 in the semifinals. In the title game, the Warhawks met Stone Bridge on May 22 at McLean High School. There, the Warhawks lost a tough 2-1 contest.
The Bulldogs of Stone Bridge jumped out to a two-run lead in the second inning, getting an unearned run on a single and an earned run on a ground out to second base. Madison got on the scoreboard in its half of the third inning as Tori Lipnicky (1 for 4) led off with a single, Jackie Yahner followed with a sacrifice bunt (moving Lipnicky to second), and Kat Olson (2 for 3, RBI) delivered an RBI single to right field.
That concluded the scoring for both teams as pitchers Kelly McDaniel for Stone Bridge and Kelsey Ross for Madison were able to shut down the offenses from that point on.
Ross pitched a complete game, giving up four hits with three walks (two intentional) and a strikeout. At the plate, she also had one of her team's base hits.
Three days following the district title game setback to Stone Bridge, Madison hosted Robinson (Concorde District) in a first round game of the 16-team Northern Region playoffs. There, the Warhawks lost another one-run affair, this one by a 3-2 score to the Rams, and their season officially came to a close.
For the spring, Madison went an impressive 17-7.