NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- The undefeated Springfield Central softball team belted out three hits and jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Monday at DiSanti Field.
The undefeated McCann Tech softball team took control from there.
Kalley Vanuni went 2-for-3 with a three-run triple, and Megan Goyette struck out 11 in a complete game, five-inning, 14-2 win as the Hornets improved to 6-0.
“You know, in years past, if our team got down, we didn’t come back,” McCann Tech coach Robin Finnegan said. “And that’s what I love about these kids because they have heart, and they don’t give up and don’t let up.
“Their pitchers struggled a little bit, and we took advantage of it and got some nice hits. I told the girls, it’s going to be a battle because it’s always a battle with Central (7-1). They’re a very good team. Unfortunately, their pitcher was struggling today.”
Central’s starter walked two, hit two and threw four wild pitches in the bottom of the first, which also saw the visitors give up two passed balls and commit two errors to help the Hornets take a 4-2 lead.
Three more walks and another hit batter fueled a six-run second for McCann Tech. But that inning also included Vanuni’s bases-loaded blast into the right-center gap that scored Ayrian Quinones, Hailey Miller and Aubrey Tetlow.
The Hornets tacked on another unearned run in the third, and Mya Daigneault, Caitlin Nicol and Kiera Kupiec each drove in a run in the fourth to complete the scoring.
The Hornets won playing error-free ball and had a couple of defensive highlights, like when Tetlow behind the plate caught a runner attempting to steal second when it still was a two-run game and shortstop Hannah Stack smothering a ball up the middle to keep it in the infield in the top of the fifth.
“That’s a credit to the kids because we haven’t been able to practice outside, and Mother Nature is hindering everybody,” Finnegan said. “We haven’t seen a field basically except when we play a game and that’s it.
“We do drill after drill in the gym, but it’s still not realistic. So I give them a lot of credit for coming out here and bearing down on defense because it’s different on different surfaces.”
McCann Tech goes to Southwick on Tuesday.
