Hammond's hopes of defending its state title were crushed with one swing of the bat.

Visiting McDonough, from Charles County, ousted the Golden Bears from Class 2A title contention with a 2-0 win in the regional title game May 17 at Hammond.

Melanie Mitchell, McDonough's junior pitcher, did all the damage. She hit a towering, fence-clearing two-run homer in the third and shut down the Bears' bats, allowing just two hits and striking out 17.

"It's disappointing. We would have loved" to have returned to the final four, third baseman Brittany Hazzard said. "But I hope they (McDonough) go all the way. It's good to lose to (the eventual) state champs."

Mitchell, who has verbally committed to play for the University of Virginia, is no stranger to Hammond. As a freshman, she eliminated the Bears in the regional playoffs with a home run to right-center field.

This time, Mitchell pulled the ball to left, over the head of freshman Sam Graily, who turned and tracked the ball until she ran into the fence and toppled over.

"I didn't see the fence," said Graily. "If the fence was not there, I'd had it."

Mitchell hit a rise ball. "It was a good pitch," Hammond pitcher Stephanie Speierman said.

"We wanted to pitch around her. Unfortunately, the batter in front of her walked," Hammond coach Richard Pond said. "She is a phenomenal player. She just yanked it."

"I like hitting against Stephanie," Mitchell said. "She makes you work for everything."

Mitchell's winning stroke was the only hit Speierman gave up. She struck out nine and walked four.

Speierman, who hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning to beat North Point in the regional semifinals, beat out a lead-off bunt in the fourth against McDonough (17-5). Kayla Hunley, who later got a single off Mitchell, moved Speierman to second with a sacrifice bunt, and Speierman took third on a wild pitch but never advanced.

A terrible collision in the top of the seventh added to Hammond's misery against McDonough. Catcher Katie McCarthy and first baseman Janice Rattigan collided head first as both charged down the baseline on a pop up.

After about 10 minutes, Rattigan was able to walk away. McCarthy was taken to the hospital. She has a mild concussion, said Pond. Three parents on the sidelines -- all nurses -- were on the field immediately to tend to both players until the paramedics arrived.

E-mail Karen Brelsford at howard countysports@patuxent.com.

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