SMCC Squeaks by NHTI to Capture YSCC Softball Title

CONCORD, N.H. — NHTI, Concord's Community College was the host site for the YSCC women's softball championship tournament.

In the first game of the day Southern Maine Community College topped Central Maine Community College 13-4.

CMCC jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.   SMCC chipped away at the lead scoring one in the bottom of the first on Roberta Trafton's sac fly to left field.  Then the Seawolves plated two more in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game.  In the bottom of the third inning, SMCC exploded with an offensive surge scoring eight runs with two outs.  In the bottom of the fourth the Seawolves tallied another three runs, including a 2-run inside-the-park homerun by Anna Allard.

From the circle Charlotte Lewis of SMCC got the win while throwing five innings and allowing four earned runs whole striking out seven. Hannah Champagne was the loser for the Mustangs.

Offensively, the leaders for SMCC were Allard (4-4 with three doubles, a homerun, and four RBI), Trafton (2-3 with a double and an RBI), Michela Desjardins (three RBI), and Taylor Clapp (three RBI). CMCC was paced by Maggie McConkey (3-3 with two triples and an RBI).

In game two of the day NHTI rolled over Eastern Maine Community College 9-1.

EMCC plated the first run of the game, and the Golden Eagles only run, in the top of the first inning on a bases load walk.  NHTI erased the deficit by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first on a Sahara Brown triple, who scored on a passed ball, and a Kasie Tucker 2 RBI double to the gap in right-center with two outs.  This proved to be the only offense the Lynx would need to record the win, but, NHTI added two runs in the second, one in the third, one in the fourth, and two more in the bottom of the fifth to give their starting pitcher extra breathing room.  Part of the fifth inning offense was a Sara Vassy pinch-hit single, driving in Courtney Gilman who led off the inning with a double.

Tucker was the winning pitcher and allowed only one earned run trough five innings. K. Fogg was the loser from the circle after allowing six runs (four earned) in three innings.

The top offensive performers for the Lynx were Brown (2-2 with two triples and three runs), Joardyn Douillette (run scored with an RBI), Gilman (2-2 with a double), and Tucker (1-3 with two RBI). The Golden Eagles were led by Carolyn Seymour (2-3 with a run).

In the YSCC softball championship game SMCC squeezed by NHTI 1-0.

The championship game between the Seawolves of SMCC and the Lynx of NHTI was a classic pitcher's duel.  The home team Lynx would put the ball in play 21 times but would only get four batters to reach base, plus a hit batter, as the Seawolves made the plays behind their pitcher.  Their one error in the third proved not to be a costly mistake when NHTI's Tori Lemay hit a fly ball to right field to lead off the inning.  In the top of the sixth SMCC had one out with the bases loaded when Danielle Mobbs hit a grounder back to Lemay at the circle, and unfortunately for the Lynx she could not come up with it cleanly to get the force at the plate, as it got tangled up in her feet.  In the bottom half of the sixth NHTI showed a spark of offense as Sahara Brown got hit by a pitch in the side of the knee to give the Lynx the base-runner they needed.  Brown would eventually steal second base to put herself in scoring position for Douillette.  Douillette singled to center field in hopes of plating Brown, however, the Seawolves made an excellent defensive play on an 8-4-3 relay to the plate to prevent the run from scoring.

Charlotte Lewis was the winning pitcher and allowed only three hits through seven innings, Lemay was the tough luck loser despite allowing four hits and striking out 14 in seven innings of work.

The hot bats for SMCC were Allard (1-3 with a run) and Kathryn Gilio (2-3 with a double). NHTI was led by Douillette (one hit), Tucker (one hit), and Hampson (one hit).

The tournament MVP was awarded to pitcher Charlotte Lewis (SMCC), the best defensive player was given to catcher Roberta Trafton (SMCC), and the top offensive player was awarded to Sahara Brown (NHTI).

All YSCC softball teams will not wait to see if they receive a bid to play in the USCAA Softball National Championships next month.