Softball: Oxford Hills ditches Gardiner in the bottom of seventh

PARIS — Attie Campbell never looked back after she bolted from the third base bag.

Second baseman Gigi DeVivo had just ripped a line drive at the Gardiner third baseman in the bottom of the seventh inning. The hard-hit ball was difficult to field and the throw to home missed its mark, allowing Campbell to score the game-winning run in Oxford Hills’ 2-1 softball victory over Gardiner in a matchup of two of the state’s top Fteams Monday at Gouin Athletic Complex.

Campbell’s only concern getting across home plate and ending the deadlock.

“I was just trying to get our last run in and then win the game,” Campbell said. “(It feels) very, very good.”

Oxford Hills pitcher Kyeria Morse didn’t flinch inside the circle for all seven innings. Her one-hitter included eight strikeouts, and she walked only two batters.

“It felt great, honestly,” Morse said. “Just having all of (the team) behind you, trust you — especially my sister (Kaydence) behind the plate. I’ve been there with her my whole life. She is always calling pitchers. She is good at it and I trust her.”

Kyeria Morse conceded that a close game like Monday’s nail-biter can wear down any pitcher, including her.

“It is definitely tiring, but have keep your game face on when you are pitching,” Morse said. “This what I do and I love softball. This is my family.”

The Vikings (11-1) tallied five hits against Gardiner pitcher Lainey Cooley.

“She was good. She was spinning it out. She was trying to make you fall for that first pitch,” Morse said.

Oxford Hills’ seventh-inning heroics started with Gabby Wright, who was pinch hitting for Campbell. Wright reached on an error and moved to second on Maddie Oliviera’s single. The two base runners moved to third and second base, respectively, on Miah Gallan’s sacrifice bunt.

Campbell re-entered the game to run for Wright from third base. Soon thereafter, Campbell headed for home for the winning after the third baseman had trouble fielding DeVivo’s shot.

“I think anytime where you have to have pressure on the whole game, like hitting defensively, it is only going to make you better in the long run,” Oxford Hills coach Cindy Goddard said. “Because you see, like, what really happens, how people perform when the pressure is on …”

The teams were locked in a 1-1 tie after each scored a run in the fifth inning.

The Tigers (11-2), the defending Class B state champions, scored first in the top of the fifth using a pair of errors and a hit.

Kylie Boardman walked, Lainey Cooley got due to an error and Maddie Inman singled to load the bases. Boardman then scored on a throwing error.

The Vikings tied it up in the bottom half of the fifth.

Outfielder Tristen Derenburger got on due to an error, Campbell singled and Oliviera safely reached first base after a bunt to the load the bases. Gallan hammered out a fly ball to center field, sending Derenburger home for the tying run.

Errors cost both teams, with the Vikings making three and the Tigers committing two.

Goddard said that Oxford Hills has some improvements to make.

“We need to work on our bunting game. It is still not there, and they did a great job bunting,” she said. “As it is, whoever makes the errors when the pressure is on, it is costly.”