Dirigo’s offense comes to life in second outing.
By Kevin Mills
Staff Writer

DIXFIELD – The Dirigo softball team’s were a bit of question mark entering the season.

The Cougars lost their season-opener to the Livermore Falls Andies Monday and suffered badly at the plate, striking out 11 times, producing just four hits and leaving nine runners on base.

“That’s the one thing I thought about,” said Dirigo coach Bob Anderson. “We have good defense and good pitching, but I was a little concerned about our hitting. We only lost three seniors last year, but those seniors were three of our top hitters.”

Replacing the bats of Ashley Gunther, Sara Anderson and Kendra Anderson looked like a greater chore Monday, but Wednesday, the Cougars had plenty of punch in the aluminum. Dirigo made the bats sing, scoring eight runs in the second inning in a 17-3 win in five innings over Mt. Abram at Marble Park.

“This was a lot better,” said junior outfielder Jess Blaisdell. “The team was playing together. Hitting was our problem and we made up for it today.”

Blaisdell led the Cougars’ (1-1) 10-hit attack. Blaisdell had two hits and three RBI. Sheena Weston also had two hits and drove in a pair. Ashley Stone drove in two with a hit while Angela Fenstermacher had two hits and scored three runs. Monique Crawford, Jenny Sayer and Jess Lemay also drove in runs.

“It was nice to come out and play the way we should,” said Blaisdell. “That’s the way we want to keep on playing this season. We’re capable. We’re a good team. I think we’re going to keep it going this season.”

Mt. Abram (0-2) managed just three hits. Sara Martin had a solo homer and a nice defensive stop on a Weston single that saved a run or two early. Overall, however, the Roadrunners couldn’t match the Cougars’ bats or solid play in the field. Mt. Abram had five errors.

“They walked off the bus and they weren’t ready to play,” said Mt. Abram coach Jeff Pillsbury. “Right from the first inning, my leadoff hitter went to the plate and we weren’t ready to play and that was the tone.”

Fenstermacher only struck out two, but she walked just one in the outing. The defense behind her was solid until two miscues in the fifth led to a pair of Mt. Abram runs. Newcomer Jenna St. Pierre did a fine job behind the plate for the Cougars.

Dirigo got all it needed in the second inning with eight runs on five hits off Mt. Abram starter Megan Buxton. After Fenstermacher scored on a wild pitch, Weston singled in a run. Stone followed with a two-run single. Blaisdell and Crawford each had a hit that plated runners and Mt. Abram errors on each allowed another run to score. Dirigo sent 11 batters to the plate in the decisive second.

“It usually takes a little bit for us to come out in the game, but once we got going, we kept our intensity up,” said Blaisdell.

Dirigo added five more in the third. Weston had an infield hit that scored a run. Amy Dolloff scored on a wild pitch and Blaisdell doubled in a pair. Blaisdell then scored when Sayer walked with the bases loaded.

“They got some momentum and they kept rolling,” said Pillsbury, whose team was missing one starter. “We didn’t hit and if you don’t hit you’ve got to play good defense, and we didn’t do that either.”

Martin broke up the shutout with a fourth inning homer into a snowbank in right-center. Dirigo followed with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Mt. Abram added two more in the fifth on an error on a Martin grounder.

“I think we can continue to do that,” said Anderson of his team’s hitting. “They just needed a little confidence. With Angie pitching real well, I told the girls that if we scored five or six runs a game, we’re going to be in every game with our pitching and defense.”

Copy the Story Link