WINTHROP — Winthrop’s winning pitcher Matt Sekerak finds it comforting to know his supportive defense will stand behind him when things get rough on the mound.

Two double plays and a run-down kept No. 7 Hall-Dale (12-6) off balance in a Western Maine Class C softball quarterfinal game on a breezy, muggy and warm Thursday afternoon

Throw in some timely hitting in a lineup that coaches envy, and you can see why No. 2 Winthrop (15-2) came away with an 8-2 victory. Winthrop will host No. 6 Monmouth (11-7) Saturday.

“To turn a double play, you are half way there to a championship team,” Winthrop coach Marc Fortin said. “We turned five or six this year. The defense played well.”

Then came the timely hitting and a four-run fifth inning for the Ramblers, who had no problem shaking of two hit batsmen and an error.

“We actually had lots of double plays behind us this year so it is nice to know if I screw up, we have some plays behind me,” Sekerak said. “I was actually saying that coming off the third or fourth after I hit someone and they scored their first run. So it’s always nice to have a defense behind us. It is always encouraging.”

While Sekerak held his own the mound, Winthrop’s solid lineup went to work on offense as early as the first inning.

With one out, Sekerak and Mario Meucci each singled before Ben Caprara and Bennett Brooks brought them home with their RBI singles, giving Winthrop a 2-0 lead.

The Ramblers scored a run in the second and third innings. Jacob Hickey scored Winthrop’s third run after he tripled and came home when Adam Hachey got on base with an error.

In the third, Matt Ingram ripped a triple and scored Brooks, who went 3-for-4 and had two RBIs

“We feel confident with our batting all though the lineup,” Brooks said. “We can all hit very well just getting on base and not swinging for the fences. It seems to work out pretty well.”

The Ramblers put the game away in the fifth with a four-run uprising. Hachey and Skerak each drove in a run with their singles and teammate Mario Meucci brought home another two runs with his single.

The Bulldogs got a run in the sixth and seventh innings. Bobby Cumier scored with two outs. Tylor Dubois doubled and scored on Josh Cowing’s infield sacrifice tap.

“His defense really helped (Sekerak) out today,” Hall-Dale coach Bob Sinclair said. “They are just a solid team. That’s why they the way they are headed. They’ve been the MVC champs and a 14-2 record going into today. So they are a quality team and they are going to do well.

“We didn’t play the game we wanted to today. We had a lot of errors. They did everything they needed to do win this game.”

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