King William earns hard-fought softball victory over Hanover

There was never a doubt.

Sooner or later, the King William Cavaliers’ breakthrough moment would come.

That, they knew. That, they felt.

Sure, they were locked in a scoreless tie with visiting Hanover after four innings of their fast-moving, efficiently contested softball game Tuesday night.

Sure, the Hawks had worked their way out of a bases-loaded dilemma in the first inning.

Sure, they’d thwarted another potential scoring opportunity when first baseman Lucy Fleisher made an unassisted double play to end the third.

Sure, the Cavaliers’ season-long strategy of scoring early to put their opponent on the defensive wasn’t working as planned.

What they needed, then, was one productive swing of the bat that would propel the ball not into the waiting glove of a fielder as had happened most of the game but to a spot that the Hanover fielders couldn’t reach.

Who would deliver? That was the million-dollar question.

Turns out it was Addie Kirby, who stroked a timely single to left to open the fifth and advanced a base on Olivia Unser’s sacrifice bunt. 

Turns out it was freshman Zoey Robinson, whose double to left centerfield scored Kirby from second.

Turns out it was Jillian Smith, whose sixth inning home run over the left field wall enabled the Cavaliers to claim a hard-earned 2-0 victory.

“We proved that we could hang with Hanover by getting runners on every inning,” said Elizabeth Welshonce, who shares the Cavaliers’ head coaching duties with Jim McGuckin.

“It was just a matter of time. We weren’t holding our breath every inning. There was just a different vibe.”

Strong pitching and heads-up defense by both playoff-tested teams kept the game close early on. 

After consecutive singles by Robinson and Hollyn Krukowski and a walk to Smith loaded the bases in the first, the Hawks ended the inning with a deftly executed third (Kelsey King)-to-first (Fleisher) putout.

Hanover (13-6) threatened in the top of the fifth after King reached base on an error and moved to second on a Layla Stanton’s sacrifice bunt, Kirby, the KW shortstop, ended the inning with a highlight-reel, diving catch of a sinking line drive in short left field.

“That play gives me chills,” said McGuckin. “That was a game-changing play.”

As was Robinson’s double following Kirby’s single which broke the stalemate.

“We did very well not getting down on ourselves,” said Kirby, a four-year veteran. “Everybody picked each other up and strung hits together when we needed to.

“You just wait for your pitch, and it goes where it goes. Against Rappahannock (a recent 4-2 loss) we hit hard but right at them. Tonight, we didn’t hit as much, but we hit where they weren’t.”

Smith’s home run provided the Cavaliers a much needed cushion.

“It felt super good,” said Smith, a senior and Shepherd University commit. “I think it was a rise ball. She left it high in the middle. I just had to jump on it considering I had a 1-2 count. I knew I had to swing at it, and I got ahold of it.”

With two outs in the home sixth, King William threatened when Abby Wright singled to right and moved to third on Kirby’s double to left, but the Hawks’ Kylie Towner hauled in a shot to centerfield to end the inning and prevent the Cavaliers from padding their lead.

“Going into this game,” Smith said, “we knew it would be competitive. We knew if we strung our hits together, we’d come out on top.”

Smith, a righthander, faced just 26 batters, allowed no walks, struck out three, and included 52 strikes among her 70 pitches. 

“We take pride in our defense,” she said. “I always know when the ball’s hit, they’re going to back me up (in the field). We work defense so hard. I know every single time a ball comes off the bat hard, someone’s going to be there to make the play.”

Next week, the Cavaliers (17-2) open defense of their Region 2A title. 

Their hope – actually, their plan – is to advance to the Class 2 playoff and reclaim the state championship they won in 2024 and improve on their 2025 runner-up finish.

Competing against Hanover, a perennial Region 4B power and the 2022 Class 4 state champ, was a much needed test or their readiness.

“I think we’re in a great position (for the post-season),” said Kirby. “We have great momentum. If we keep that up and keep our mindset where it is right now, we have a good chance of winning again.”