Recap for the game: Hoosac Valley vs Drury on May 12
Drury Beats Rival Hoosac to Punch WMass. Ticket
Staff reports
05:50PM / Friday, May 13, 2011
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Both the Drury and Hoosac Valley softball teams played solid in the field and matched each other in the hitting department in the first of two games between the two rivals. The difference in the game, however, came down to timely hitting, which the Blue Devils received more of in a 5-1 win at home.
Mary Ann Maroni's club jumped on the Hurricanes early, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning to grab control of the game from the start. Jessica Sunn hit a single with one out in the frame before junior Lyndsey DeGrenier reached base courtesy of a Hoosac error. With two outs in the inning, sophomore Amanda Ramsdell knocked in both runners with a double. Junior Olivia Koperek then brought Ramsdell home with an RBI single. Ramsdell finished the game going 2 for 3 with three RBI and a run scored, while Sunn collected two hits and two runs on the day. The freshman shortstop made several key plays from her shortstop position, including making all three outs by herself in the top of the fifth frame.
The Blue Devils added two more runs in the third inning, thanks to an RBI double by senior Kendra Hinkell and run-scoring single by Ramsdell. The Hurricanes (10-3) got a run back in the sixth when sophomore Tori Rumbolt belted a triple to left-center field and later scored on a sacrifice bunt by junior Sabrina Sommer. Hoosac had two more base runners on with only one out in the sixth, but Drury starter Cat Record got a strikeout and a grounder to third base to end the 'Canes threat.
"As expected, Drury and Hoosac gave their fans a good game for their money," Maroni said. "Both teams battled to the end. Defense was the name of the game, as both teams were sharp in the field. I think the defining factor was timely hitting."
With the win, the Blue Devils improve to 10-4 on the year and clinched a spot in the Division 2 Western Mass. tournament. Record was in control all game, allowing six hits and no walks while striking out seven batters to improve her season record to 9-3. Senior Amanda Meczywor suffered a rare defeat for the Hurricanes, allowing two earned runs on six hits, striking out four batters without allowing a walk to fall to 8-3 on the year.
"We had seven hits and left runners in scoring positions three times," Hoosac head coach Morgan Shafer said. "We just couldn't produce tonight. We had a hard time getting over that one bad inning early on, and Amanda struggled a bit in the beginning to find her groove. She actually became a little stronger as the game went on, holding Drury scoreless after the third inning and allowing just one more hit in the fourth.
"We will learn from our mistakes and move forward as a team, looking towards our game against Lee on Friday."
In addition to her triple in the sixth, Rumbolt went 2 for 3 with a run scored in the game. Fellow sophomore Ashley Ciepiela also went 2 for 3 with a double in the third inning.
The Hurricanes play at Lee at 4:15 p.m. on Friday, while the Blue Devils next host Taconic at 4:15 p.m. on Monday.
|
