Lewiston survives a bases-loaded threat in the final inning to advance with a 3-2 victory over McAuley.
LEWISTON – Harry Houdini would have been proud.
Clinging to a one-run lead, the Lewiston softball team produced its own great escape Tuesday. The Blue Devils gave Catherine McAuley every opportunity to tie or take the lead in the final inning but still snuck away with a 3-2 victory.
Lewiston rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the first inning, took the lead in the sixth and hung on for dear life in the seventh to win the Western A preliminary.
“It was our spirit,” said shortstop Katie Morin. “The inning before when we started hitting, we were all pumped up. We were screaming and everything. We were just trying to be the boss of the game, and we did it.”
McAuley loaded the bases with only one out in the top of the seventh. The Lions were one pitch away from a bases-loaded walk that would have tied the game, yet Lewiston got a force at home and then a pop-up to first to end it.
“We ran the bases well at times,” said Lewiston coach Fred Royer, whose team plays at Noble in Thursday’s quarterfinal. “We didn’t fight the situations. We had some timely hits, and the defense came through in the end.”
Lewiston (11-6) had taken the lead in the bottom of the sixth. After Nicole Caron drew a leadoff walk, Morin followed with a double. She advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Kim Bechard grounder to second for the 3-2 lead.
McAuley pitcher Heather Robinson had held Lewiston to just two hits through the first five innings and struck out six of the first nine batters she faced. The Blue Devils tried to be more patient and make her work, and it paid off.
“The second time around was a lot easier,” said Morin. “We hadn’t faced her since last year.”
After finally getting some offense, the Blue Devils needed a whole lot of defense to preserve the win. Laura Ridge led off the seventh win an infield single, scooting safely to an uncovered first base. After a sacrifice bunt, Robinson had a bloop single and stole second, putting runners at second and third.
Jill Dalfonso walked to load the bases. Then Kate McConnell had three straight balls thrown to her by Lewiston hurler Shannon Godin.
“Shannon held it together,” said Royer. “She came back from a 3-0 count and got the girl to ground out.”
After throwing a strike, Godin produced a grounder right to Morin at short. She threw home for the force and second out.
“We came in closer,” said Morin. “So we felt more compact, and we had a more solid defense. So I wasn’t as nervous about it getting through. I was nervous, but once I saw it coming to me, I was fine. I knew there to go.”
Brigid McGovern was McAuley’s next hope, but she popped out to Jess Nadeau at first.
McAuley (10-7) took a 2-0 lead in the first thanks to a Nikki White sacrifice fly and an error to plate the second run. Lewiston got one back in the fourth when Caron slid beneath a tag on a Godin bunt.
“We kind of wanted to start off with our bats,” said Morin. “You can’t beat it coming in the inning it did. It doesn’t matter what inning you hit as long as you hit.”
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