NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Megan Goyette could have hung her head when first-inning errors allowed the first batter she faced to score on Thursday afternoon.
She could have given in to the pain of a sore elbow.
She could have been fazed by the pressure of facing the first-place team in the Bi-County West.
What she did was bear down and allow just three hits in pitching the McCann Tech softball team to a 6-1 win over Easthampton.
“Today, I got to tell you, Megan pitched amazing,” McCann Tech coach Robin Finnegan said. “This is her fourth game in a row, and she pitched out of her mind. I know she was hurting. And I can't give her enough credit right now.
“I allow [catcher Alanza Quinones] to call the game. She and Megan call the game themselves. I trust them enough to do that. She's got a number of different pitches, and she knows what she's comfortable with.
“And today I felt like she was throwing a little bit harder. She had that little extra umpfh. I think she knew how important this game was.”
McCann Tech won its second straight to improve to 7-5 overall and 4-2 in the league while handing the Eagles (9-2) their first league loss.
Easthampton took advantage of three McCann errors -- two on the same play -- to score the game’s first run in the top of the first.
“We always come out flat, and I don’t understand that,” Finnegan said.
Quinones ended the Easthampton rally by gunning down a runner attempting to steal third base with two out.
“ I trust Alanza with my life behind the plate,” Finnegan said. “I think she is the best catcher in Western Mass, myself. That's why I trust them so much.”
Quinones was solid behind the plate on Thursday and came through at the plate in the decisive third-inning rally for the Hornets.
Kiera Kupiec led off by reaching on a bunt single and moved up when Kalley Vanuni bounced back to the circle. Quinones then doubled down the third-base line to send Kupiec home and tie the game, 1-1.
An outfield error allowed Quinones to score from second and put Michaela Malloy on second. Malloy moved up on a groundout to the right side of the infield and scored on an infield error to make it 3-1.
In the fourth, Kupiec (3-for-3) reached on an infield single, and Quinones singled to left ahead of Malloy’s two-run single to make it 5-1.
In the sixth, Malloy reached on an error, and Hailey Miller came in to pinch run. When another error allowed Ayrian Quinones to reach, Miller hustled all the way from first to score McCann’s sixth run.
“I know [Easthampton] was short a couple of players in the field,” Finnegan said. “Obviously, we took advantage of their mistakes, but I can't say enough about the way they put the effort in. I think after that loss to Smith Academy, it gave them a wakeup call because the last two games, we've played really well.
“The pinch-runner I put in, she ran the bases well. Having that insurance run in softball is big because you can score runs like crazy.
“I'm just really excited for them. They deserved this one.”
McCann Tech plays Granby on Friday in a game rescheduled from earlier this month.
