Opposites can attract even on the ball field.

Simultaneously last Wednesday in Haymarket, the Battlefield softball and boys soccer teams ended Cedar Run District tournament championships in different fashions though they both won their regional openers. For the first time in program history, the boys soccer team came away with the first place trophy after capturing the regular season crown too. The Bobcat boys (12-3-2) defeated Heritage 1-0 in overtime on a kick by first-team all-district midfielder Kyle Beach with 50 seconds left on the clock.

"It was just (a) battle back and forth," said BHS coach Ott Pimsaen "The boys wanted to go home with hardware tonight."

Beach worked from up top along the Heritage post and "crashed the box" for his goal, Pimsaen said, as he battled through traffic in front of the net and deposited a shot set up for him almost on a tee

"Battlefield is a great team and they had an opportunity to put the ball in the middle of the net," said Heritage assistant coach Justin Martin.

He explained that one of Battlefield's best assets is the team's size in the midfield, given their strength and height.

Heritage based its attack around forwards Ruben Torres and Jonathan Castillo, who scored both Heritage goals in the district semis against Loudoun Valley on May 24. Martin said he thought his team stacked up well against Battlefield in regards to speed and that "if we could get the ball on the outside and cross it in," the Pride would have its best opportunities to score.

Martin and Pimsaen both mentioned that Heritage played the stronger first half and had chances to score on BHS goal keeper Jack Eaton. That didn't sit well with Eaton, however, as he chalked up seven saves including a game-saving diving stab in the second half to preserve the shutout heading into overtime.

While dishing out kudos to the first-team all-district goal keeper, especially lauding "two excellent saves" made by the junior, Pimsaen noted that Eaton's been able to overcome early-season mistakes to be a defensive leader on the team.

"At times I had to bench him to get him to wake up and he's waking up at the right time," said the coach.

Meanwhile, the softball team fell to an opposite fate, losing to Loudoun Valley 5-4. Unlike the boys soccer team, Battlefield (18-3) nabs district title every year, and this year proved to be no exception as the girls came out of the regular season without a single district loss. In fact, the only two times the Bobcats loss came against a teams from southside teams Halifax and Monticello.

Yet their chief rival LVHS (6-2) showed up in full force May 26, particularly during the sixth inning while trailing Battlefield 3-0. With the bases loaded, shortstop Shelby Wassman clubbed a bases-clearing RBI double to tie the game before scoring on a single to left field by starting pitcher-turned-infielder Kelsey Richardson.

"She's a good hitter with a long reach and she reached out and poked it," said BHS manager Joe Schelzo of the Vikings' shortstop, later adding, "Wassman made good contact. It happened to come with the bases loaded."

Oddly enough, what turned out to be the winning run for LVHS came on a third-strike pitch to Jamie Crisp that sailed into the backstop, allowing her to reach first base and Richardson to score from third base.

The bottom of the Battlefield line up turned out particularly effective performances against Richardson early on and winning reliever Allie Reid. Erika McLaughlin and Shannon Black both registered 2-for-3 days at the plate and combined for 2 RBI, with McLaughlin's big moment coming with a double in the second.

Junior Tyler Welch narrowed the score toe 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning with an RBI single to leftfield, but Reid kept the Bobcats at bay otherwise, holding on for the win.

As for defeating Battlefield, a team that disposed of the Vikings during both regular season meetings, Reid said, "First they thought they were the ones who were on top and we were the underdogs. Now we're the ones on top."

Battlefield hurler Miranda Kemp tossed a complete game for the Bobcats had a steady hand going into the monster sixth inning

"It was just one of those times where a team got on a hitting streak," she said, explaining that hitting can be "contagious" when such rallies start.

Schelzo said that, in the end, the loss amounts to the end of one chapter of a season and the start of another districts gave way to regions.

"Right now, we're on a one-game losing streak," he said.

According to Kemp, the loss gave Battlefield something to shoot for heading into the next round of the playoffs.

"This kind of put some salt on our tongue and we're definitely ready to play again," she said.