As the wins piled up for the Franklin softball team – nine straight to open the season – it became a clear somone would have to come up with something sepcial to down the Golden Tornadoes. And that’s just what happened on Monday.
“We played our best game of the season,” Bishop Brady Coach Freddy Rivera said. “A great pitching performance by Emily Manning.”
Manning worked seven innings, struck out five and gave up three hits and just one run as the Green Giants (8-3) handed Franklin its first loss, 2-1.
Manning had to be that good because her counterpart, Kaylee Marsh, was also dealing. Marsh struck out 13 and walked only one in her complete-game effort.
“It was a pitchers duel delight,” Franklin Coach Skip DuBois said. “Kaylee had another outstanding outing on the mound that, normally, would win most games.”
Manning, however, wasn’t having it. The Brady junior connected for a home run in the third to stake herself to a 1-0 lead. She also walked to lead off the sixth, starting a small-ball, run-producing rally. Jackie Hill ran for Manning and stole second base. Emily Santis, who would have a larger role in the final moments, bunted Hill to third. And Lily Rivera hit a sacrifice fly to send Hill home for a 2-0 lead.
Franklin finally got to Manning in the seventh with back-to-back singles from Hanne Nichols and Breanna Styles. Ryley Haskins was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and a walk brought in run to cut the lead to 2-1. Manning found the second out with a strikeout before Franklin’s Rachel Capri hit a line drive up the middle. It looked like the game-winning hit, but Santis made a diving grab for the final out.
“That line drive off Rachael’s bat was one of the hardest hit balls we’ve had this year,” DuBois said. “It was a rope, and for that instant, I thought we had just won the game.”
From coaches’ reports
Keene 8, Concord 3
Highlights/key moments: The Tide couldn’t keep up its momentum after a 16-0 win in its previous game, falling to the lower-ranked Black Birds.
Coach’s quote: “Keene came to play. They out-pitched, out-hit and out-ran us.” – Concord’s Duke Sawyer
Records: Concord 5-9; Keene 3-12
Plymouth 4, Merrimack Valley 3
Key players: MV – Lindsay Balch (2-for-4, double), Ann Bascom (2-for-4, 2 RBI)
Highlights/key moments: The Pride’s three-game winning streak came to an end against the second-place Bobcats.
Records: MV 6-7; Plymouth 11-1
Belmont 9, Gilford 3
Key players: Belmont – Julianna Estremeara (2-for-4, 2 doubles, 2 runs), Nicole Antonucci (2-for-4, run), Mackenzie Donovan (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Megan Prescott (CG, 9 K, 5 hits, 1 earned run)
Highlights/key moments: Prescott took control early, staying up in the count.
Coach’s quote: “It’s a different (game) when we score early and have good pitching.” – Belmont’s Bill Clary
Records: Belmont 9-4; Gilford 7-4
Hopkinton 23, Bow 6
Key players: Hopkinton – Gabby Lajeunesse (5 hits, 4 RBI, 3 runs), Felicia Gordon (4 hits, 3 RBI, 3 runs), Maddie Eborn (2 hits, 2 RBI, 2 runs), Clara Walling (first varsity hit)
Highlights/key moments: The entire Hawks lineup recorded at least one hit and one run, and all but one starter recorded an RBI. Lajeunesse set the tone early with a triple to left, the first of seven hits to open the game. Bow made a comeback, cutting the score to 9-6 in the second, but Hopkinton used a nine-run third and a five-run fourth to put the game out of reach. The win snaps Hopkinton’s five-game losing streak.
Coach’s quote: “It was nice to see us hit the ball so solidly today up and down the lineup.” – Hopkinton’s Dan Meserve
Records: Hopkinton 6-5; Bow 2-8
Merrimack 14, Concord 4
Key players: Concord – Becca Proulx (goal), Steph Resnick (goal), Olivia Painchaud (goal), Tori Pelletier (goal)
Highlights/key moments: The Crimson Tide had their opportunities, but could not keep up with Merrimack’s fast-break offense. Julia Ek played well for Concord on both sides of the ball.
Records: Concord 4-6; Merrimack 7-6
Portsmouth 8, John Stark 4
Key players: John Stark – Allie MacKean (great defense), Emily Patten (great defense), MacKenzie Nase (great defense), Abber Rancourt (great defense), Sam Porter (10 saves)
Highlights/key moments: Stark scored first, but lost the majority of the first half draws and was down, 5-2, at halftime. Stark earned more offensive chances in the second half with good defense, but had trouble getting anything in the back of the net.
Coach’s quote: “The girls played a strong game on defense and on the ride, and we showed we can compete with a strong Portsmouth team, but could not finish with our scoring opportunities.” – John Stark’s John Warner
Records: John Stark 7-4; Portsmouth 10-3
Hanover 16, Merrimack Valley 1
Highlights/key moments: MV lost its sixth straight game while Hanover won its third in a row.
Records: MV 1-10; Hanover 8-3
Concord 7, Bishop Guertin 2
Key players: Concord – Becky Cistulli (8-3 win at No. 1), Colleen Casey (9-7 win at No. 3), Olivia Cattabriga (8-3 win at No. 4), Irene Escobar (8-1 win at No. 6), Cistulli/Alex Killinger (8-5 win at No. 1 doubles), Casey/Sabrina Hart-Meyer (8-4 win at No. 2 doubles), Cattabriga/Escobar (8-2 win at No. 3 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: Casey held on to a win a key, two-hour match in singles.
Coach’s quote: “Although (the score was) 7-2, it felt much closer than that. Our doubles really stepped up in a big way.” – Concord assistant Rebecca Killinger
Records: Concord 8-3; Bishop Guertin 3-9
St. Thomas-Aquinas 7,
Bishop Brady 2
Key players: Bishop Brady – Sydney Herrington (8-1 win at No. 1 singles), Herrington/Ravalika Damerla (8-4 win at No. 1 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: Despite winning the No. 1 singles and doubles matches, the Giants couldn’t contend with the depth of St. Thomas’ roster, dropping five of their last six matches.
Coach’s quote: “St. Thomas has a deep and experienced squad, and will contend with Portsmouth and Hanover for the state title.” – Bishop Brady’s Lee Herrington
Records: Bishop Brady 3-8; St. Thomas 8-3
Coe-Brown 8, Pembroke 1
Key players: Pembroke – Nicole Carr/Emmi Ferrara (8-3 win at No. 1 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: The Spartans lost their eighth match in a row, while Coe-Brown extended its win streak to four in a row.
Records: Coe-Brown 8-4; Pembroke 1-10
Stevens 6, Kearsarge 3
Key players: Kearsarge – Morganne Flinkstrom (8-5 win at No. 4 singles), Miranda Bonon (8-4 win at No. 5), Andrea Cutts/Felicia McSweeney (8-4 win at No. 3 doubles)
Records: Kearsarge 1-11; Stevens 3-8