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12U Dedham Girls Softball Achieving New Heights in Hock

12U Dedham Girls Softball Achieving New Heights in Hock

A long, winding road through spring and summer 2013 is finally coming to a close at the end of this month as the 12U Dedham Girls Softball is closing out the Ultra-competitive Hockomock Summer League with it's deepest playoff run for the 12U level in 3 years and this particular groups best ever showing in either tourney or summer ball. After finishing atop the standings this summer the girls snagged the #1 seed and Wrentham as an opponent in the semison the 24th. Having been involved in 5 one run games (and 2 two run games), including a last inning 11-10 win against Wrentham last month at Sugrue, the girls could feel a battle ahead and Wrentham surely delivered.

Things looked shaky early as an early first inning run by Wrentham frustrated Dedham, but two quick pickups at second by Charlene Kelly kept the damage and score to 1-0 until the bottom of the second. In the frame Molly Egan continued the "2 out magic" by working a walk after fouling off many 2 strike bids. Now with a runner on and the bench chirping Jess Andrews unleashed a bomb to left center that tied the game and left her on third with a stand up triple. The lead would have been better, but the side was retired and the girls would settle for a 1-1 tie and the "tension" relieved.

That new-found ease showed up in the third as the almost batted around while plating 4. Danielle McMurtry started the fireworks with a leadoff walk and after Emma Pelkey laced a double to right and McMurtry was on third ready to pounce. She wouldn't wait long as a wild pitch gave her home and the girls the lead. Gianna Sciarappa would continue the bat fireworks with her own rocket to center that plated Pelkey and put her at third where Julia Holton would drive her in and then follow her home for a 5-1 lead after three. Holton would play a role more than just at the plate as she toed the rubber for all 7 innings. The squad's "ace", Holton would team up with team leader and MVP Corinne Downey behind the plate and orchesrate a perfectly called game that included 10 strikeouts, including a 9 pitch perfect third inning.  Wrentham, however would show why they were here to play and the regular season matchup went to the wire as they played "small-ball" to the tune of a 6-5 lead after four that had the gang bent but not broken. Although there was still three innings to go every moment would be magnified, so a couple of Jillian Girard snags at short and defensive help all over the outfield from Vanessa Tannetta kept things at one run, and Maeve Bolotte at second and third became a brick wall in either catching or keeping balls in the infield when they would have done far more damage if others had been there.

Entering the bottom of the fifth down 6-5 the "top of the order" came up and clearly showed why they are where they are in the lineup. Ashley Gilarde dropped maybe the bunt of the year in "no woman's land" to get on, and despite Sciarappa hitting a ground ball so hard the center fielder almost got hurt, Gilarde got such a good jump that she was on third before Wrentham could turn their heads. That would be huge as it allowed Gianna to steal and flustered the pitcher into a walk so the girls had bases loaded and no outs with the middle of the order still up.  While this was clearly a great set-up, coring runs always doesn't have to be conventional, so even though the big bats were at the plate, you take what the opponent gives you, and Dedham had no problem taking the lead as Gilarde and Sciarappa scurried home of wild pitches and before you knew it, it was 7-6 Dedham with 6 outs separating them from a date with Franklin in the finals.

Another 1-2-3 inning by Holton and a quick inning by Dedham found the teams in the last inning, the fans on their feet, and the heart of Wrentham's lineup at the plate. A liitle self help catch at the mound started things off, but then Wrentham would get the tying and leading runs on and a top hitter at the plate. Downey and Holton unleashed the whole arsenal of game calling but a 3-2 count what happened next will be remembered for a while. Expecting the gas, a perfect change up caught the batter in knots for out number two, and despite knowing the strongest arm in the league was behind the plate, Wrentham sent the runners only to have Downey unleash a bullet into a waiting Pelkey's glove that had the runner tagged before she could even think of sliding. So instead of having to worry about anything else, this unusual ending double play of strike out-throw out had the GAME OVER and Dedham heading to the finals!!

Mother Nature would show is tougher than all of us, and as a result push the finals to Wednesday July 31 down in Plainville. Keep an eye out for the recap as unfortunately the write up may be after the next post goes to print....better yet... read up on it after you "Come on down" to the PAL Complex (10 Everett Skinner Road Plainville) and watch the girls try and finish off season the best way possible!

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