Sacopee Valley’s Brynn Hink slides into home plate to score before Monmouth catcher Abby Ferland can field the throw during Thursday’s game in Monmouth.
MONMOUTH — Emily Chasse kept the Sacopee Valley hitters off balance, scattering four hits over seven innings as the Mustangs held on for a 5-4 victory in a Class C softball quarterfinal Thursday.
No. 3 seeded Monmouth will travel to No. 2 Winthrop on Saturday for a semifinal matchup.
Chasse fanned the first two batters in the first inning, mixing her pitches and getting both Sacopee Valley hitters to wave at strike three.
“She battled all the way for us. Early on she had her screwball working and later on, she lost the screw so she started going more to the curve and drop until those seem to not work. She was down to her fastball and gutted it out for us,” Monmouth coach Mike Langlois said.
The Mustangs wasted no time putting a crooked number on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first.
Shortstop Tia Day drew a walk to lead off the first. After being sacrificed to second base, she stole third. With one out, sophomore Mariah Herr promptly hit an opposite field single in front of the right fielder, scoring Day. Haylee Langlois walked and Hannah Anderson followed with a line to right center bouncing off the center fielder’s glove as she extended falling for a hit, scoring Herr.
“We wanted to set them back on their heels early and we did that,” said Langlois. “We wanted to get runners on and make things happen.”
Hawks’ pitcher Brynn Hink took care of the rest of the inning by striking out the next two batters to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Chasse continued using her variety of pitches, inducing ten ground ball outs over the next four innings.
“Throwing different pitches, keeping them unaware of what I’m going to throw next was my game plan today. Throw some junk, not just fastballs,” the junior pitcher said. “As for my defense, you just have to trust they’re going to make the plays behind you.”
“She mixed it up early. She’s a good pitcher. Our hitters seemed to start figuring her out as the game went on but just couldn’t get it done against her,” Sacopee Valley coach Brian Hink said.
Sacopee Valley (12-5) scored a run off Chasse in the fourth. Hink led off the inning with her second single of the game and eventually came around to score when Abby Ferland’s throw to third base on a steal attempt sailed into left field, scoring the junior.
Day led off the fifth inning with the first of her two singles and stole second, creating pressure on the Hawk defense. Day scored two runs and stole three bases on the day.
“We had had Tia in the three spot in the order in the first 10-12 games but switched her with the sophomore (Emily Kaplan), and it’s really paid off for us,” Langlois said. “She hit lead off for us last year so she’s really getting the hang of it again,” he added.
Kaplan walked and Herr singled loading the bases for Langlois. The sophomore hit a sacrifice fly scoring Day. Anderson’s hit to the outfield was misplayed and two more runs came home giving Monmouth a 5-1 lead through five innings.
An error by the Monmouth (13-4) defense to lead off the sixth followed by a passed ball set up Hink for her third hit of the game driving in a run making the score 5-2.
“She’s a great player. She hits the ball well,” Langlois said of Hink.
Chasse struck out Brenna Humphrey leaving a runner on third base to end the sixth. Monmouth threatened in the bottom half but came up short, leaving a pair of runners on base as Hink struck out Kaplan and got Herr to ground out.
Hink finished with four strikeouts allowing six hits while walking four on the mound.
Sacopee Valley’s Haiden Sawyer led off the seventh with a single and advanced to third base when Nette Humphrey’s fly ball to center field was not handled allowing the batter to reach. A walk, a fielder’s choice, and a sacrifice fly from Madi Day put the Hawks within one run, 5-4 with two outs.
Monmouth’s only senior, right fielder Rhiannon Dumond, tracked down a fly ball tailing away from her for the game’s final out giving the Mustangs the win.
“That was a fantastic game ending catch by our senior,” Langlois said. “We’ve got a young team but all of these girls know how to compete and step it up for the playoffs.”
“Our girls uncharacteristically made some bad physical plays today, it’s the playoffs and you can’t do that. Monmouth is a good team and came to play,” Hink added.
The Monmouth bench looks on during Thrusday’s game against Sacopee Valley
Fans and players pause during the National Anthem prior to the start of Thursday’s game.
Monmouth pitcher Emily Chasse winds up before delivering a pitch during Thursday’s playoff game against Sacopee Valley.
Monmouth’s Tia Day nearly catches Sacopee Valley’s Brynn Hink after she overran second base during Thursday’s playoff game in Monmouth.
Monmouth’s Tia Day is waiting with the ball after her catcher, Abby Ferland fired a strike to nail Sacopee Valley’s Brenna Humphrey out trying to steal second base during Thursday’s playoff game in Monmouth.
Sacopee Valley’s Brynn Hink slides into home plate to score before Monmouth catcher Abby Ferland can field the throw during Thursday’s game in Monmouth.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
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