The JV softball team slid into another successful game in the second home game against Millis. After a tough loss to Braintree in first home game, the Rebels outscored Millis for the win on Tuesday, April 12 to make their record 2-1.
Sophomore Emily Rothenberg, the pitcher, started off the game with a walk and eventually the batter reached home on all passed balls giving Millis an early lead. But the Rebel defense got the three quick outs and were ready to go at their first at bat. Freshman Casey Songin led off but fell short with a ground ball to right to the first basemen for the out. Freshman Lauren Reagan and sophomore Kelsey Flanagan followed with 2 walks in a row and eventually scored by a fielder’s choice for the 2nd out and pass balls, putting the Rebels up 2-1.
In the second inning, Walpole’s solid defense prevented Millis from scoring. In the bottom half of the inning, the Rebels came back wanting more. Sophomore Lauren Scanlon started off the inning with a triple and then stole home to put the Rebels up 3-1. Sophomore Andrea Lee reached third base from a dropped third strike but the Rebels left her disappointingly stranded on third with the following 3 batters unable to get the job done.
Up by two, the Rebels were determined to keep Millis from scoring. Emily came out firing and got three quick strike outs in a row. Walpole tried to fight back but Millis’ defense kept the Rebels off the bases with 2 fly outs to left field and a 6-3 play for the out at first base.
Starting off the fourth, Millis came out ready to score. The leadoff batter reached on an error by the third basemen. The following batter allowed the girl on first to score with a shot out to center field that ended in a triple. A quick out by the Rebels got them back in the game but with a following base hit, sending the runner on third home, the Rebels were shaken up. They knew they had to step up, and they did by getting the next two batters out. With a tie game 3-3 the Rebels needed to gain the lead. Sophomore Nicole Torigian lead off the inning with a walk and was moved over to third on two fielder’s choices. With two outs, Emily’s base hit allowed Nicole to score from third putting them up 4-3. Millis ended the inning quick and left Emily stranded on first.
In the fifth inning Millis came out on top with the two first batters walking, followed by a base hit to load the bases. An error by the third basemen for the next batter allowed the runner on third to score. Needing to get out of the inning, Walpole stepped up their game and got the next three batters out. With the top of the order starting off the inning for Walpole, they hoped to get a few runs in. The first two batters were walked; then, a single by Mikayla Songin loaded the bases for Nicole. She was subsequently walked, sending a runner home. Pass balls along with a hit batter allowed 2 more runs to score. Emily was walked a few batters later to bring the third run in for Walpole for their biggest lead yet of 7-4.
The sixth inning began with Walpole fired up from their last at bat and held Millis to nothing. When it was Walpole’s turn, the bats came through for them again. Three walks to start the inning loaded the bases for Mikayla Songin who hit another single to drive a run home to increase Walpole’s lead. Nicole hit a line drive right to the short stop for an out, and they picked off Flanagan at 2nd base for the double play. Wanting some more insurance runs, Mikayla stole 2nd and with 2 outs and a runner on 2nd and 3rd, Lauren Scanlon hit a bases clearing single to put Walpole up even more with a score of 10-4.
In the top of the seventh, Millis had their last shot and they gave Walpole a run for their money with 2 walks and 4 hits, but came up short with only two runs. Giving Walpole a well dissevered 10-6 victory with an outstanding performance by Emily Rothenberg with 9 strike outs, solid defense from the whole team, and hard hitting at the plate.
