DALTON, Mass. – There was not much separating the 16-and-under softball teams from the Rip City and Mass Destruction travel programs on Saturday night.

 

But it was just enough to give Mass Destruction a Dalton CRA Invitational title and major bragging rights.

 

“I feel like there’s been a lot of rivalry between us for a long time,” Amanda Pou said after throwing a two-hitter in a 2-0 win under the lights at Pine Grove Park. “A lot of players in transition. A lot of talk around the games and whatever.

 

“We played them twice [this weekend] and beat them twice, and there’s a lot of girls on the other team I really love and I really appreciate seeing. But it was really good to win the game.”

 

Pou struck out six and allowed just two baserunners in a complete game effort.

 

Mass Destruction’s offense managed to push across unearned runs in the fourth and fifth innings to spoil a solid pitching effort from Rip City’s Bri Lynch, who struck out five and allowed just four hits without issuing a walk.

 

The final game of the two-day tournament – compressed from the regular three-day format to avoid Sunday’s rainy forecast – kept fans on the edges of their seats for seven innings.

 

Neither Pou nor Lynch surrendered anything for three innings.

 

Mass Destruction got hits from Natalie Arnhold and Mia Arpante in the second and third innings, respectively, but each came with two outs. And Lynch retired the next hitter both times.

 

For Rip City, Lyniah Hadsell hit a leadoff single to start the third. Isabella Hadsell moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt and Lily Brancato’s groundout to the right side got Isabella Hadsell to third base. But Pou notched her third strikeout of the game to end the threat and keep it 0-0.

 

Pou retired the side in order in the top of the fourth, and her offense delivered in the bottom of the frame.

 

Navaeah Lopez raced all the way to third base on a dropped ball in the outfield to start the inning.

 

After an infield fly kept her at third with one out, Sadie Aitken hit an RBI groundout to first base to give Mass Destruction a 1-0 lead.

 

It doubled that margin one inning later.

 

Pou reached on a leadoff error that sent her all the way to third, and Ella hit a ground ball to third that allowed Pou to race home behind the throw to make it 2-0.

 

The Destruction got back-to-back two-out hits from Aitken and Arnhold in the bottom of the sixth, but Lynch got a fly ball to center field to prevent any damage.

 

Any hope of a comeback for Rip City was dashed when Pou delivered a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh to end the game.

 

“I feel like [my night] was really good,” Pou said when asked to assess her performance. “I feel like it was definitely a lot better just because I had a team I could trust, and I know the defense is going to be good no matter what. Even if we miss a ball, we know how to keep our energy up, and I feel like that was a really big part of how I played this game today.”

 

The tight nature of the game, where every pitch mattered, also helped keep Pou sharp, she said.

 

“I like playing these games way more than winning by a lot,” she said. “It definitely puts a lot of pressure on me, but I feel like the stress is good. Plus it really brings out the teamwork that we have.”