Softball team pulls off upset
before losing in tourney
By Jay Turner
Citizen Staff
The Canton
High School varsity softball team bowed out of the Division II
south sectional tournament with a loss to Bishop Stang on
Saturday, but not before pulling off a stunning, 1-0 upset over
7th seeded Hopkinton in Friday’s preliminary round.
It had been
a tale of two seasons heading into the game, as Hopkinton had
gone 15-5 in the regular season, while the 26th seeded Bulldogs,
who play in a league of mostly Division 1 opponents, just barely
squeaked into the tournament with a 3-14 record (1-1 against
Foxborough, the league’s other D II team).
None of that
mattered when the game began, however, as Canton looked crisp in
the field and also happened to be boasting Chrissy Murray, an
all-star caliber senior pitcher who had been heating up as of
late.
Not only was
Friday’s performance, according to head coach Danielle McNamara,
“the best defensive game the girls have played all season;” it
may have also been Murray’s best start of the season. All
afternoon she pounded the strike zone, striking out three
batters and allowing just three hits and no runs.
“[Murray]
did an outstanding job on the mound,” said McNamara. “Her
location was great, she stayed ahead in the count, and she
changed speeds which set up for a high fastball that the
Hopkinton girls continued to chase.”
The lone run
of the game came in the second inning, when Allie Jones hit a
double to knock in Kelly White, who had led off with a single.
McNamara said it was fitting that the game’s big hit came off
Jones’ bat, as she had come through in the clutch all season
long.
The girls
had a scare in the bottom of the last inning, when Hopkinton
loaded the bases with no outs; but two pop-outs and a groundout
later, they were celebrating their biggest win of the year.
McNamara called it a “very exciting ending to a great game.”
Canton’s
fortunes ran out the next day, however, as the team was routed
by 10th seeded Bishop Stang, 15-0, in a first round game.
“The score
doesn’t reflect how well the girls played toward the end of the
season,” said McNamara. “We play in a very tough league and I
give the girls a lot of credit for always staying competitive.
We have had tremendous growth over the season; the girls should
be proud of themselves for what they accomplished.”
June 5, 2008
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