Drury Softball Finishes With Win

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — It was a matter of better late than never for the Drury High School softball team.

Playing its last game of the season and trailing rival Mount Greylock by a 1-0 score, the Blue Devils put it all together in time to end the year on a high note with a 2-1 win over the Mounties on Thursday afternoon.

"We have had very good defense most of the time," Drury coach Mary Ann Maroni said. "We haven't been able to put the two halves of the game together, including the offense. The offense has definitely been missing.

"And I told them in the sixth and the seventh, they finally put a whole inning together.

"And not a moment too soon."

Arianna Hilchey and Cat Record each had a hit, and the Blue Devils took advantage of a Greylock error in the game-winning rally.

Drury (8-10), meanwhile, played flawless defense and turned in a couple of big plays behind Record.

"The biggest thing was communication," Record said. "We've always had a problem calling out pop-ups and that kind of thing. The double play — that was all communication. It took a while, but we got it."

Drury actually had two double plays and cut down a runner at home plate to hold the Mounties (10-9) to one run.

In the bottom of the third with runners on second and third, Kendall Frye singled to left to drive in the game's first run. But Drury's Allison Cellana hit the cutoff, and Amber Iacuessa relayed the ball home, where Ingrid Olsen blocked the plate to keep the second run from scoring.

"If it wasn't for that play, we might be out here for another 14 innings," Maroni said, alluding to the first meeting between the teams, a 4-3 marathon win for Drury.

After Markel Shea's leadoff single to start the bottom of the fourth, Celeste Gravel sacrificed her to second, but Emily Moulton threw to second behind Shea and caught her off the bag for an improbable double play.

The Blue Devils got their second double play one inning later. Center fielder Amanda Ramsdell caught a fly ball and fired to second to double up a runner and end the inning.

Drury's winning rally started with Hilchey's pinch-hit single up the middle. After Heather Tomkowicz got the next batter to strike out, Laryssa LaPointe laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached safely on an error that also allowed Hilchey to get to third.

A wild pitch brought home Hilchey with the tying run and sent LaPointe to third. Three pitches later, Record hit a single down the third-base line to bring in the go-ahead run.

Record retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth and pitched around a leadoff walk in the seventh to nail down the win.

Although Drury's season ended on Thursday afternoon, the Mounties have a game this afternoon at Mount Everett before heading into the Western Massachusetts tournament next week.

Mount Greylock coach June Blake said her team is looking strong going to the postseason.

"I was happy with the way [Tomkowicz] was throwing," Blake said. "Overall, we didn't do the job offensively today.

"Overall, I am happy. I said this after our game against Pittsfield High the other day: We're playing good softball and giving ourselves chances to win. That's what you want to do going into the tournament."

Maroni is hoping the Mounties go far.

"I wish Greylock the best of luck," she said. "We've had three games with them this year. They stay in the game. They're very competitive. And they're a class act.

"I wish them the best of luck."

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