RUMFORD — PitcherLindsay Marston tossed a two-hit, rain-drenched 5-1 softball win over Mt. Abram on Tuesday afternoon at Hosmer Field, helping Mountain Valley move into the Western Maine Class C quarterfinals.
“Lindsay held it together really well,” Mountain Valley coach Lisa Russell said. “Defensively, we played well and made a couple of nice plays behind her.”
No. 7 Mt. Valley (8-9) will advance to the Western C quarterfinals, on Thursday when the Falcons will play at No. 2 Hall-Dale (14-2). No. 10 Mt Abram concludes it’s season at 6-11.
Marston, pitching through a downpour, notched seven of her 12 strikeouts in the first three innings. She continued to hurl a masterpiece as the rain slowed through the middle innings, before giving up her first hit in the fifth.
“I was just trying to wipe my hands on anything that was dry in the beginning,” Marston said. “I used all my pitches today. It really helped having a great defense behind me.”
Marston walked seven, giving the Falcons plenty of opportunities to make plays in the field. Playing errorless ball, Falcon second baseman Adelle Oswald came up with one of the top plays of the game in the seventh. Oswald fielded an infield ground ball, tagged the runner headed towards second and threw out the batter at first for a double play.
“That was a perfect double play and came at the right time,” Marston said.
Marston’s counterpart Katie Jordan of Mt. Abram was equal to the pitching task, allowing four hits, collecting 10 strike outs and walking just two.
“She (Katie) has to be the best pitcher in our league,” Russell said. “She pitched a great game today.”
Mountain Valley touched Jordan for a pair of doubles in the fourth inning when the Falcons scored three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Sydney Petne and Kelli Trenoweth lashed line-drive doubles to left center — both RBI producing hits.
Mt. Abram scored its only run in the sixth when Jordan walked, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and crossed the plate on a steal of second base.
“We made a couple of defensive mistakes and didn’t capitalize when we had runners in scoring position,” Mt. Abram coach Marc Keller said. “Katie was on and helped keep us in the game.”
Marston, who had opened the fourth, reaching on an outfield dropped fly ball, started a two-run sixth when she led off the inning, making it to first on an infield error. Back-to-back singles by Sam Higley and Petne pushed the lead to 5-1.
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