4A

Edgewood Rams faced the Kenwood Blue Birds in the first scrimmage of the 2026 season. Kenwood Blue Birds jumped out to lead in the top of the first inning after Courtney Singleton doubled, scoring one run, Jewel Bruno drew a walk, scoring one run, Alena Abdulaleem singled, scoring two runs, and an error scored one run. Isabella Porretti started the game for Edgewood Rams. The pitcher surrendered three hits and four earned runs, striking out two and walking two. Mikaela Gonzalez went 1-for-3 at the plate and had one run batted in. Sierra Gaither led Edgewood Rams with two hits in two at-bats. Kendall Russell hit a double, and Russell and Gaither each stole multiple bases for the Edgewood Rams. The Edgewood Rams stole six bases in the game. The Edgewood Rams host the Aberdeen Eagles on Friday, March 20, at 3:30 PM.

In 2025, Montgomery County sent six teams into the state tournament, including Damascus in the 2A, Sherwood in the 3A, while Northwest, Blair, Churchill, and Richard Montgomery advanced in the highest class. Of these teams, both Sherwood and Churchill advanced to the championship game, with neither bringing home the title. With last spring marking the first time since 2021 no MCPS team won a state softball title, the question is, will any hoist the big trophy in 2026? Here are the ten teams from MCPS most likely to win the big game: 1. Damascus The Hornets’ 2025 season started very mercurially. Their 4-2 record to start the season included scoring double-digit runs in each of the wins, highlighted by a 19-0 opening day rout against Seneca Valley on opening day, but the squad gave up double-digit runs in each of the losses. After the rocky start, Damascus finished their season on an 8-1 run, including six additional double-digit offensive performances. The Hornets outscored Southern, Centennial, and Hereford 39-5 from the regional semifinals to the state quarterfinals, before a one run loss in the semifinals against Stephen Decatur. Damascus looks so good this coming spring because, after only losing senior Josie Hoffacker, they will return first-team all-MCPS nominee Brook Sell, Marymount University commit Kailyn Sheahin plus all-Met honorable mention Ana DiGiandomenico. This spring looks very bright in Damascus. 2. Churchill The Bulldogs opened their last campaign with a 3-3 record, including scoring 19 runs in a road game against Watkins Mill and a home game against Whitman, while also surrendering 20 on the road against Walter Johnson. From there, Churchill turned up their play, working towards a 10-7 regular season record. The team was one of the only of any sport in the state to play six playoff games, requiring a regional quarterfinal match all the way to the state championship. Churchill outscored opponents 41-5 in the first five playoff games, before an unfortunate end in the 4A championship, falling to Leonardtown 5-0. The loss of Villanova softball commit Maggie King will hurt this year’s squad, along with four other seniors, but they are set to be led by first-team all-division nominee Kai-En Hsu and honorable mention Jacqueline Le. 3. Walter Johnson The Wildcats opened their season dropping their first game, but they quickly turned it around with a seven game win streak. This impressive stretch started with a 26-0 blowout on the road against Gaithersburg, followed by a 20-3 win over Churchill and a 20-4 win at Whitman. However, the stretch quickly switched course, with Walter Johnson going on to lose four of their next five. After outsourcing Einstein and Springbrook 29-0 in their final two regular season games, WJ would fail to make it past the regional semifinals, as Churchill got their revenge in a 7-0 loss. Despite the unfortunate end to their season, the WIldcats look to be in prime position going into this season. After losing four seniors, they will return Ella Reynolds, the all-division player of the year and Emory University commit, along with two seniors and three sophomores who all made the division’s first team. 4. Northwest The Jaguars opened their season on a fourteen game win streak that included a 19-2 road win against Magruder, a 19-4 road win against Gaithersburg, and a 20-run shutout victory over Blake, also on the road. After this, Northwest dropped their final two games of the season, losing to Damascus and Churchill. After eliminating Frederick, Urbana, and Richard Montgomery from the playoffs, the Jaguars fell in their state semifinal game against Leonardtown, the future 4A state champions. While this year’s team will be without six members of last year’s state semifinalist team, head coach Mike Horton will look to bring his team back to the state bracket in the coming months. 5. Wootton The Patriots’ last season kicked off with a strong win over Einstein before the team dropped three of their next four. Following the slide, Wootton won five of their next six, including a 20-4 victory against Watkins Mill on the road, a 14-11 fight against Paint Branch, and a 17-0 home blowout over Northwood. The team went on to finish with an 8-7 regular season record, before beating Kennedy and Rockville in the regional bracket to win the region title. In the state quarterfinals, the Patriots had a tough seed, and were forced to face Sherwood, where they fell 15-0. The good news is that, after losing just three seniors, Wootton will return Bryn Priolo and Emily Liu, who were selected as first-team and honorable mentions to the all-division team, respectively. 6. Sherwood Last year’s 3A runner ups were the lone undefeated team from Montgomery County, finishing with 15 wins. In those 15, the Warriors plated at least 10 runs in 12 games, and at least 15 in seven. From the regional semifinals to the state quarterfinals, Ashley Barber-Strunk’s team outscored Atholton, Reservoir, and Wootton 35-0, before taking down the Dulaney Lions 2-0, punching their ticket to the big game. However, with the season on the line, Sherwood could not come through, falling 5-3 against the Chopticon Braves, ending their season. This year’s squad will be without several key members, including first-team all-met selection Keira Schlutz and first-team all MCPS nominee Avery Anderson, but all-division honorable mention Gabby Anderson will be returning as the team looks to make it back to the top of the state for the second time in three years 7. Quince Orchard The Cougars had a 4-3 start to their most recent campaign, including a 20-3 road win against Blake on opening day, plus a 13-4 road win over Seneca Valley and a 21-run shutout against Gaithersburg at home. After this start, Quince Orchard played six of their last seven games on the road, en route to a solid 10-5 regular season record. Despite this, QO would fall to the 9-9 Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons, who were coming off a 27-23 first round win over Whitman. Despite the untimely ending to their 2025 year, the Cougars will enter this season without just two members of last year’s campaign, as they look to win their first playoff game since 2024, or potentially, their first state semifinals since 1993. 8. Clarksburg The Coyotes had an impressive regular season campaign, scoring double-digit runs in ten games while surpassing the 20 run mark in three, in a season where the team finished 13-2. Despite such strong play before the playoffs, Clarksburg dropped their first game of postseason play in a 4-3 loss to the Urbana Hawks from Frederick County. After having success in the regular season, the team will lose Sommer Witz to Shepherd University and Gabby Encinas to Frostburg State. The remaining athletes will have a couple of big holes to fill before kicking off their season at home against Churchill. 9. Richard Montgomery To kick off last season, the Rockets opened with a 5-0 record that included four straight wins with over 16 runs scored. After the incredible start to their season, Richard Montgomery went on a 1-6 run that saw a 19-18 home loss against the Blair Blazers, a 23-0 win over Springbrook, which was immediately followed by a 17-run shutout loss to Clarksburg. Despite the rough patch, RM went on a four-game win streak to end their season 10-6. RM took down Einstein and Wheaton in the regional bracket, securing them the championship, before the Rockets fell to Northwest 15-3 in the state quarterfinals. 10. Blair Last Spring, the Blazers opened with a 9-6 home loss to the Churchill Bulldogs before going on a six game win streak, including a 15-0 win over Northwood and an incredible 19-18 victory on the road against Richard Montgomery. Blair slowed down a bit, finishing the regular season 11-5, but in their regional playoff games against Northwood and Laurel, the Blazers outscored the two 32-3 on the way to a regional championship. In the state bracket, their run was cut short in a 5-0 loss against Churchill, the second of the season. Additionally, this year’s team will be without an incredible nine athletes from last year’s squad, which could pose challenges for head coach Louis Hoelman, as the team looks to get back to the state semifinals for the first time in a decade.

The softball offseason is upon us, with awards and championships being handed out to the game’s most deserved winners and teams. In Montgomery County, several schools had great seasons, but these four stand out. They all won their regional titles and carried that success into state semifinals/finals appearances, with one making its first state title in program history. Here is a 2026 lookout for four of Montgomery County’s top softball teams. Churchill: After reaching the program’s first state championship, how do the Bulldogs look to continue that success? They were led by one of the best pitchers in the county in Maggie King, who won back-to-back MCPS Softball Player of the Year titles. Freshman catcher Kai-En Hsu was also a big contributor, as she led the team in RBIs, which earned her First-Team All Division honors. She was also impressive on the mound, being the No.2 starter behind King. Originally slated to start in center, she volunteered as catcher as it was a position of struggle early in the season. Her efforts of learning a new position took the Bulldogs to the “next level,” as head coach Andrew Sonnabend described it. Along with King, Churchill loses ⅔ of its outfield with Ceci Bernstein and Zoe Kospsidas departing. They also lose four-year varsity player and captain Natalie Gumagay, so her leadership and experience will certainly be missed. But Hsu returns for her sophomore year (will probably be the ace), as do rising seniors Leah Sonnabend and Jacqueline Le, who was an honorable mention for All-Division. Netah Shekel and Aysha Gilmetdinova are star basketball players who contributed to the softball team as freshman last year, and will be worth keeping an eye on. “I think that both of them, they can really show that they're not just basketball players who play softball, but indeed just athletes,” said coach Sonnabend. With the success of 2025 now a part of Churchill softball history, the Bulldogs will look to continue its ascent and add its first state championship banner. Damascus: The Swarmin’ Hornets made it all the way to the state semifinals in search of its fifth state title, but unfortunately fell to Stephen Decatur. The good news is that much of the production that was shown on the field returns as infielder Josie Hoffacker is the team’s lone departure. Though her contributions offensively and defensively will be missed, the return of All-County members Ana DiGiandomenico, Amaya Hammond, Brooke Sell, Katelynn Doyle, Kailyn Sheahin and Aislinn Sell (2A/3A Division Pitcher of the Year) will have Damascus in a good position to make another run. “We will look to build on our success by continuing much of what worked for us this year both offensively and defensively,” said head coach Liz Gall. “Additionally, we continue to emphasize having fun and growing our mental game while working hard to be successful.” That approach has so far worked as they have two regional championships, one county championship, and two state semifinal appearances in two years under Gall. Despite making the move to Class 3A, Liz Gall looks to return to the semifinals and beyond and deliver the Hornets’ its fifth state championship. Sherwood: After winning the state final last year, Sherwood once again had an outstanding regular season with hopes of making it a repeat. Though they fell just short of back-to-back titles, they remain a forced to be reckoned with as the eight time state champions are always a threat to go a major run. They do lose First Team All-MET infielder Keira Schultz, outfielders Avery Anderson and Rylie Friend, but do return Reagan Corb and Gabby Anderson who were All-Division honorees. In total they lose six seniors, but head coach Ashley Barber-Strunk looks for the returnees to take the next step in leadership. “It is now their time to lead, prove what they can do and come back to see what we are capable of.” Rising seniors along with Corb include Faith Goolsby, Sydney Gould, and Sophia Salcedo. “The goal is to build each day once the team is made and to just get better little by little and if we can do that, we can do anything!” Northwest: The Jaguars went on an incredible 14-0 run before losing their first game of the season. They won the regional title and county championship and made it to the Class 4A state semifinals before losing to Leonardtown. Senior Yasmin Qassis was recognized as the 4A West Division Player of the Year. Fellow seniors Aubrey Cammuso, Erin DeLand, and Callie Tomaszewski also got All-Division recognition. Despite the losses, Northwest does bring back star quality players including rising sophomore Nala Johnson who struck out over 100 batters in her freshman season. Ali Porter is back for catching duties so the battery will look to continue the success from last year. Both received All-Division honors. Outfielder Lucy McNulty is the other impact player who received All-Division recognition. The Jaguars will look to build on last year’s success and make a run to its second state championship victory.

Five hundred career strikeouts are just a number, but for Alyssa Blaney, it was her milestone accomplishment. "This has been a goal, my long-term goal since I started high school. I was like I want to hit 500," said Blaney. In the spring of her senior year, the utility player hit that goal. Blaney began playing t-ball at the age of five. Growing up, she always played with girls a year above her age, as she thought it would make her better. Her want to pitch was what made her fall in love with the sport. "Ever since I was little, I would watch, like, college softball and be like, I want to do that," stated Blaney. "So, I basically self-taught myself how to pitch." During her time playing recreational softball, she gained experience not only within the circle but also at other positions, such as third base and shortstop. Those skills and lessons carried over into high school, where she played almost every position; however, she faced some trials and tribulations across those four years. In her sophomore year, Blaney had five stress fractures in her foot, which caused a setback. "She played for a month on five fractures, thinking it was a bruised toe because that's what they kept telling her when she was going to get it checked," said her father, Billy Blaney. "It was a bruised toe, and then finally, they got an MRI." Alyssa ended up playing through this pain for another month, which taught her how to support and help her team from afar rather than on the field. However, another issue arose: North Point's softball coach had stepped down, leaving a vacant spot. Her dad, Billy Blaney, who has coached Alyssa since she was ten, stepped in to be the North Point softball head coach when she was a junior. He had been helping some of the girls train during the off-season, helping develop that trust. When that position became available, it was clear that the girls wanted him to coach. "I received a lot of support from the girls. A lot of the girls were going to Alyssa and asking if I would be interested in taking over and coaching the North Point program. So, I did take that over," he said. During his time as head coach, not only has he seen Alyssa thrive, but she has also accomplished many milestones, including her 500th career strikeout. "I knew where I was, I knew I needed one more strikeout, and it was the first inning, first batter," Blaney stated. Blaney ended her softball career not only with the 500 strikeout milestone but with a First Team All-SMAC award and the Charles County Player of the Year. After four stellar years at North Point, she will be taking her talents to Shepherd University in the fall to play softball.

Leonardtown softball had been one of the top teams in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) all season. With only one loss to Huntingtown, they captured the SMAC title and the Class 4A title for consecutive years. "Last year was not an expected experience, and that is something that they shock themselves with," said Head Coach Kim Woodburn. "They had that desire to continue and to reach for those same goals again, and they worked really hard all year to make sure that that happened." This year, Woodburn had all but one player return on her roster to make all those milestones happen. One of those returners was MaxPreps' Maryland softball player of the year, Claire Radford. The senior pitcher has been a part of the Leonardtown softball program all four years. When she first began with the team, she started at shortstop but was actively pitching then. It was not until the senior pitcher quit that she realized the opportunity had opened. "I kind of had to step up towards the end of my freshman year and finish out the season pitching-wise," she explained. Radford began to see growth within herself while pitching freshman year. That growth continued to show during her time at Leonardtown. During her junior year, she hit 200 career strikeouts, even throwing a five-inning perfect game in the 2024 Class 4A title game against Eleanor Roosevelt. During the 4A title game this year, Radford added to her resume, tallying 16 strikeouts and only allowing two hits. She finished her senior season with a 0.71 ERA and more than 500 career strikeouts to end her career at Leonardtown. "I'm just really proud of myself for being able to show that I can… still make a difference in the Leonardtown program, and even in just SMAC," Radford says. Radford is heading to the University of South Carolina-Aiken in the fall and is looking forward to growing as a pitcher.

The Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) has 14 teams, but three stood out this past softball season: Huntingtown, Chopticon, and Leonardtown. All three schools captured their respective class titles in May. Huntingtown Wins Class 2A Title 3-2 vs. Stephen Decatur After losing 4-2 to Rising Sun in the 2A title game in 2024, Huntingtown had the opportunity to redeem themselves against Stephen Decatur on the same stage and did so, beating them 3-2. "After losing last year, and just coming back and winning, it feels great," said senior pitcher Jordyn Greever. Greever threw a complete game, even managing to escape a bases-loaded situation in the sixth inning to help her team win. After her performance, head coach Mike Johnson credited Greever, calling her the best pitcher in the state of Maryland. "I've been able to watch Jordan now for four years, progressively work harder and harder and harder to get to this point," voiced Johnson. This was the first time the Hurricanes had won the state title since 2019. It was also Johnson's sixth title with Huntingtown and tenth overall in Maryland. Chopticon Wins First State Title In 40 Years Chopticon had not won a state title in 40 years. However, their 5-3 win against Sherwood changed history. "I feel like it hasn't hit me, like how crazy it is," exclaimed senior pitcher Carrie Hayden. "The fact that it literally has been 40 years since we've won, and that we did win, like I don't think it's like, set in yet like how big of a deal it is." Throughout the season, the Braves only lost two games, both to Leonardtown. But those two losses helped the team strengthen its bond on the field and grow closer to one another. Chopticon had two chances within the last ten years to win the 3A title in 2016 and 2022, but fell short both times. When the opportunity came this season to return to the same stage, they dominated, giving Head Coach Kevin Cioppa his first state championship. Leonardtown Wins 4A Title Two Years In A Row For the second year in a row, Leonardtown softball won the Class 4A title, this time against Winston Churchill 5-0. This season, all of the Raiders rosters returned but one player, which benefited Head Coach Kim Woodburn and fueled the team's goal to become back-to-back state champions. "They worked really hard all year to make sure that happened, or I should say all season," stated Woodburn. One of those returners was senior pitcher Claire Radford, who finished her season and career at Leonardtown with over 500 career strikeouts and a 0.71 ERA. In the 4A title game, she threw a complete game, allowing only two hits and adding an RBI single to help seal the shutout win. "I think I push myself even harder to make sure that I was able to improve on what I had put into last year," Radford stated in regards to this season. The Maryland softball player of the year is taking her talents to the University of South Carolina-Aiken and credits Leonardtown for helping her grow into the player she is. "They definitely gave me a lot of confidence," said Radford. Conclusion Taking three out of the four state titles is rare for a conference to do, but that shows how competitive SMAC is. Many athletes across SMAC have played travel ball together, which helps gain a sense of familiarity within the conference and teams. Chopticon players Brooke Colliflower, Cassidy Wolfe, and Cioppa all emphasized how the success within each team, alongside the close games and competitiveness, add to that reputation within the conference. “I think that the SMAC conference is one of the best conferences in the state, and I think it has been for a long time,” said Cioppa.

Senior Claire Radford strikes out 16 in a complete game shutout, leading Leonardtown to a 5-0 win and the Class 4A softball title again! 🔥🥎

With the sun shining and bats ready, the Leonardtown Raiders stormed into the Girls 4A Softball State Championships this week with a win against the Churchill Bulldogs by 5-0! Leonardtown also finished with 15 strikeouts. What a showdown!

Today got rained out, they attempted to go over to Poolesville only to find out the tarp got blown off the mound... what an adventure. So now, Saturday May 17 at 1pm AT POOLESVILLE we will play Northwest. Please do the anti rain dance. ☔️

Whitman 11 Wootten 9

Whitman. 11 Woootten. 9

Ally Underwood pitches 7 shutout innings. Four hits, four strikeouts, no walks. Abby Marmen goes 1 for 2 with another OTF homerun. Two RBIs on the day.

We PULLED UP to Broadneck HS for a softball thriller. The undefeated Northeast Eagles faced off against the one-loss Broadneck Bruins. See the highlights on MFV YT page: youtu.be/1bJYQ-PWRj4 FINAL SCORE: EAGLES - 7 BRUINS - 2 #marylandhighschoolsports #millerflowvlogs #softball #highschoolsoftball 👀 MFV U📺🔗⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bJYQ-PWRj4

Drove down to Northeast HS for softball game between the Glen Burnie Gophers & Northeast Eagles. Rain was in the forecast, however, the game was updated to a 4:15pm start time. This allowed for the children to run the bases at the end of the game for their kids night. The Gophers put forth their best effort. The Northeast team remained dominant throughout the entire game. BIG SHOUTS to the GOPHERS, keep working hard ladies. Congratulations to the EAGLES on the win. THANK YOU Northeast HS for having us out and allowing us to film. Also THANK YOU NORTHEAST HS for the complimentary popcorn and creating such friendly atmosphere. Enjoy the highlights. FINAL SCORE: GOPHERS - 0 EAGLES - 10 👀 MFV U📺🔗⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rOXYpU2MuU

City College put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. Everything went their way against Western as City College made off with a 16-6 victory. The Black Knights have seen this before: they got the W the last time they saw Western, too.Brooklynn Murrell was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one triple. Jaydin Muldrow was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.City College was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .552. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .429 or higher every time they've taken the field this season.City College's win bumped their record up to 3-0.

Leonardtown was down 6 to 4 in the top of the seventh. Lindsay Hunter hit a three run home run to take the lead.

Leonardtown delivers an absolutely stunning performance in the softball championship! They secure a remarkable 14-0 win in just 5 innings, playing a perfect game!

Ended with two on and Maddie Carl of Perry Hall executing a triple play. Emma Kitchin pitched a 2 hitter!

On Wednesday, April 17th the Broadneck Bruins faced the Annapolis Panthers at home, marking the second time the teams have faced each other this season.Junior Addie Cornelius started the game, pitching the first three innings, going 3 up 3 down in all three and striking out 7 of the 9 batters she faced. Senior Sam Waters completed the game, pitching the 4th and 5th innings, striking out 6 of the 7 batters she faced, giving up just one hit in the fifth with a blooper to shallow right.On offense, the Bruins’ juniors earned all the RBIs of the day. Abby Favazza led the team with 3 RBIs, and had a standup double up the left field line in the bottom of the fourth. Amanda Ford drove in 2 runs, and Cornelius, Lily Kisling, Elena Durkin, and Chiara McIntosh each earned an RBI. Kisling and senior Mara Gilkey led the team in steals with 4 a piece.Tomorrow the Bruins face the South River Seahawks on the road at 4:45

Varsity softball had a nailbiter on the road as they faced the Northeast Eagles on Thursday, April 11th.Freshman Rylan Crisafulli pitched the whole game, striking out ten, and walking four.On defense, the Bruins committed no errors, and had a number of impressive plays. In the third inning, senior shortstop Mara Gilkey fielded a comebacker to Crisafulli. Also in the third, junior Aliceanna Weibley caught 2 fly ***** to thwart the Eagles chances of extending their 2-0 lead. She also made a diving catch in shallow right in the fourth. In the fifth inning, junior Bella Herrera made a diving stop at third, and still made the throw to first in time, with the scoop by junior Lily Kisling, the first baseman. In the sixth inning, with bases loaded, Kisling made a double play herself, first snagging a hard hit line drive to first, and then quickly stepping on the bag before Northeast’s runner had a chance to make it back.On offense, the Bruins’ bats were quiet the first three innings with the exception of Weibley’s line drive single to center and Gilkey’s liner to left. In the fourth inning, the Bruins, down 2-0, had three hits in a row that put them ahead. Junior Grace Purdum tripled to right, well over the fielder’s head. Weibley, up next, bunted on the first pitch, getting on base. Kisling, with two runners on, doubled to right, bringing Purdum in for the first run. Weibley advanced to third on the hit, and an overthrown ball to third brought her in for the second run. Senior Hailey Adamson’s sacrifice bunt advanced Kisling to third, and when the first baseman tried to throw out Kisling, the ball skipped past the third baseman, allowing Kisling to score the third run. In the seventh inning, up 3-2, Crisafulli doubled to left, bringing in Adamson, who had walked, for the fourth run.The momentum for both teams ebbed and flowed throughout the game, with the Bruins leading 4-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. The Eagles’ last at bat, brought in three more runs, sealing a 5-4 win.Tomorrow the Bruins play at home, facing Old Mill High School at 4:45.