Lady Highlanders shutout Oak Ridge

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The Woodlands Lady Highlanders put the finishing touches on a perfect District 14-5A softball season with a 4-0 victory over arch-rival Oak Ridge on Thursday night at The Woodlands High School.

The Lady Highlanders, who are ranked No. 1 in the state of Texas by Max Preps, finished the regular season 28-2 overall and 12-0 in 14-5A play. They will meet the loser of Tuesday’s Klein Collins vs. Spring one-game playoff to decide the third- and fourth-place teams out of District 13-5A. It likely will be a best-of-three series starting next Friday.

Oak Ridge ended the regular season 16-10 overall and 8-4 in the league. The Lady War Eagles, who finished second behind The Woodlands, will meet the winner of Tuesday’s Klein Collins-Spring game in the first round of the playoffs.

“We needed a game like this,’’ said The Woodlands head coach Richard Jorgensen, who watched his club give up only five runs in 12 district games. “Oak Ridge has a good team. They have some very good athletes. Their pitcher (Jessica Rodriguez) did a very good job tonight.’’

But The Woodlands had two pitchers – starter Caitlin Bartsch and reliever Abby Langkamp – who kept the Lady War Eagles off the scoreboard for the second time in district play. The Woodlands beat Oak Ridge 11-0 the first time the two teams met.

Bartsch, who features a devastating changeup, allowed three hits and struck out one in four innings of work, while Langkamp struck out four and allowed only one hit in the final three innings.

“Our hitting has been kind of up and down all year,’’ said Jorgensen, who guided the Lady Highlanders to the 2011 state championship and national title. “But our defense and pitching have been lights out.’’

Bartsch, who is one of four players remaining from the 2011 national-championship team, worked her way out of a bases-loaded, one out jam in the top of the first inning when she got Ronnie Villafranco to fly out to shortstop and Carter Spexarth to pop out to the mound to end the threat.

Oak Ridge’s Clariza Anzaldua and Amanda Cunniff both singled off the top of Bartsch’s glove, and Amber Serrett reached on an error to load the bases.

“We need to be put in pressure situations like that,’’ Jorgensen said. “We haven’t had to play with a lot of pressure on us in district play.’’

Rodriguez, who had a ringing double off the fence in the fourth, also worked her way out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first when she got Abby Langkamp to ground out to shortstop to end the threat.

Aubrey Leach, who came into the game hitting .589 with 34 stolen bases, singled to open the frame, but was thrown out at second on a bang-bang play.

“If Aubrey is not the best offensive player in the state, I don’t know who is,’’ Jorgensen said of Leach, who finished the game 4-for-4 to hit over .600 for the season.

Aubrey Leach slashed a single and Brittany Mann ripped a two-RBI single in the second to give The Woodlands a 3-0 lead. The inning could have been worse, but Rodriguez got Kelcy Leach to pop out and Abby Langkamp to ground out to first to end the frame with the bases loaded.

“That was the biggest difference between Tuesday night (16-0 victory over College Park) and tonight,’’ Jorgensen said. “We didn’t get the hits with runners on base like we did the other night.’’

Mann added the fourth and final run when she scored after Aubrey Leach was ruled safe at first in what would have been the third out of the third inning. Leach never stopped hustling after hitting a routine grounder to short.

Oak Ridge’s defensive highlight came when freshman left fielder Tyler Noyola went back against the fence and snagged Abby Langkamp’s long fly ball to end the sixth inning with the sacks full.

“I thought that ball was gone,’’ admitted Jorgensen. “But the wind was blowing just hard enough (to keep it in the park).’’