File:Softball 2019, Senior Katie Laing pitches to a Walkersville batter from The Frederick News-Post, April 19, 2019.jpg

Summary

Laing gives Railroaders a boost in win over Lions • By Joe Ferraro for the Frederick News Post, April 19, 2019 Photo: Brunswick senior Katie Laing pitches to a Walkersville batter Thursday, earning a shutout win on her birthday. Staff photo by Graham Cullen WALKERSVILLE — Recovering from an ACL tear last year, Brunswick softball player Katie Laing remained upbeat, cheering on her teammates as she watched them play. Nonetheless, she did encounter moments where she longed to be on the field. “Yeah, definitely when they were down on themselves, that really hurt me not being able to go out there and pick them up,” said Laing, now a senior on the Railroaders. With Brunswick having experienced a rare low in the current season, a six-run loss to Middletown on Wednesday, Laing relished playing a big role in giving her team a much-needed boost Thursday at Walkersville. In the process, she gave herself quite the birthday present. Relying heavily on a screwball and sprinkling in some effective riseballs, Laing pitched a four-hit shutout on her 18th birthday as the Railroaders blanked the Lions 5-0. Ironically, Brunswick hosted the same opponent in a girls basketball game 18 months earlier, when Laing raced back on defense and tried to block a fast-break layup. When she landed, her left knee buckled, leading to the ACL tear. Before they broke their postgame softball huddle in left field Thursday, the Railroaders (9-3) sang Happy Birthday to Laing and her twin sister, Kelsie. Could victory taste much sweeter than this for Laing? “No, not at all,” Laing said. “Today was a good day.” After completing her junior year in high school, Laing was healthy enough to pitch for her travel team, Terror Fastpitch, last fall. While she wasn’t quite prepared to take her cuts at the plate, Laing added a riseball to her pitching repertoire. That makes her screwball, which she likes to throw in on the hands of opposing batters, more effective. On a staff that also relies on Ally Albright, Daisy Gardner and Ellen Stockman for pitching, Laing has started three games as a pitcher. She also threw a shutout against Boonsboro. “My screwball is my favorite pitch — I like going after hitters,” said Laing, who struck out six batters. It wasn’t until the start of the spring season that Laing felt comfortable in all areas of the game. At the plate on Thursday, she went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored a run. “It’s so long ago, I almost don’t think about it anymore,” Brunswick coach Kevan Rabat said of Laing’s ACL injury. “She’s right back into the groove, and she’s hitting well and pitching well. I’m just happy that she’s healthy.” Laing had plenty of help from the offense, with eight of the Railroaders’ nine hitters in the lineup collecting at least one hit. At the top of the order, Abigayle Perry set the tone for offense, going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. But the Railroaders also featured some clutch hitting, scoring four of their five runs with two outs. With Brunswick leading 2-0, Emily Stockman delivered a two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning, and Alexis Stone added a run-scoring single in the inning. Emily Stockman, Stone and Ellen Stockman each had two hits for a Brunswick team that finished with 12 hits, but the Railroaders’ defense stood out for Laing. “Last night [against Middletown], we didn’t have a good game, so I felt like today we had each other’s backs, and I was just confident with my defense behind me.” Emily Stockman played particularly well in the field, making two nice plays at third base on hard-hit balls. Walkersville leadoff hitter Kate Donaghue, who had one of the Lions’ four hits, hit a deep fly ball to left that Stone tracked down near the fence. Lions coach Erinne Warrenfeltz was pleased with her team’s defense but said the Lions (6-7) have struggled excelling in all phases of the game during a six-game losing streak. “Basically, we have all the skills we need,” Warrenfeltz said. “We just need to put it all together and find a way to win.”