Walpole Softball’s main focus this year — the offense — has played a prominent role in each of their games this season, and as the competition has gotten stronger lately, the Rebels’ ability to put the bat to the ball has proven to be more essential than ever. Fueled by this rejuvenated offense, the 10-8 Rebels qualified for tournament on May 7 after a 7-6 win over Natick.
“From day one this season, we have gone back to the basics when it comes to hitting,” senior captain Mehron Hoag said. “Some may see hitting off a tee or soft-toss as things for young players only, but its this type of work that has given us the tools we need to succeed.”
Combining a short game — which includes slapping, dragging and bunting — with the Rebels’ power hitting has allowed them to be competitive in about every game. Softball began their season by winning their first five games; however, their undefeated record was ended on April 16 when they faced Dedham to bring their record to 7-1.
After recently facing teams like Bridgewater-Raynham, and Newton North — two teams ranked by the Boston Globe— the Softball team’s offensive skills were tested more than earlier in the season. In addition to tougher competition, the Rebels also suffered from an offensive slump that resulted in a four game losing streak to bring their record to 7-4 at the end of April.
Senior captain Lauren Regan said, “The past few games have been tougher ones for us, and in order to end the season with the best record possible, we need to step it up on both the offense and defense sides of the game.”
The Rebels rebounded in a win over Framingham on Friday, May 2 with a dramatic late-inning victory. Down by one run going into the bottom of the seventh inning, they needed to score at least one run to stay in the game. After sophomore Lisa Regan bunted down the third base line, junior Julie Moser advanced to second base. Junior Natalie Lydon then stepped up to the plate and hit her second triple of the game — allowing junior Julie Moser to reach the plate and tie the game at 5. With Lydon at third, Lauren Regan hit the walk off to lead the team to victory with a 5-4 win.
“Natalie set the tone of the game by hitting a triple as the lead off hitter,” junior Jessie Jones said, “and then again came up big when we needed to score in the seventh inning. Lauren finished off what was a better offensive game for us.”
The win over Framingham ended the offensive slump for the Rebels. Songin said, “When our hitting is timely and we are able to execute, then we are successful. However, the key to winning recently has been making sure our defense is just as solid as our offense.”
Similar to the late-inning comeback against Framingham, the Rebels also defeated Natick in dramatic fashion on May 7 to officially qualify for the postseason. Down four runs in the top of the seventh inning, Walpole came back because of their ability to put runners on base.
“Whether its coming out of a slump or being down several runs in a game, our resilience and willingness to give everything we have has allowed us to win close games and qualify for tournament. Taking it one game at a time, we are looking to close out our regular season on a very high note,” said Regan.
With a 10-8 record, Walpole Softball seeks to earn two victories in their last regular season games in order to improve their seed for the tournament. Their next game is against Dedham on Monday, May 19.
