Dedham Keeps Streak Alive with Win Over Canton

At 5-0, the undefeated Dedham Marauders softball team is climbing up the charts.

“I am trying not to look,” said Dedham coach Erika Eisenhunt, following her team’s 3-0 win over Canton Wednesday afternoon.

Erika, you may want to look.

Her team is ranked 10th in the Boston Globe Top 20, as her team prepares for the heart of Bay State League competition next week.

“You never know in the Bay State, the true test will be next week,” said Eisenhunt.

Dedham faces Weymouth on the road on Monday.

Eisenhunt may not be buying into her team’s hype, but rather has her team focused on playing a defensive-minded game where her team manufactures runs for starting ace Brooke Sheehan.

“I think we need to focus on bunting and manufacturing runs the best we can," added Eisenhunt.

In the Canton game, the Marauders did exactly that, as they scored their first run on a sacrifice bunt by Meaghan Paton, to score pinch runner Brianna Dozier, who with her speed, created havoc all day against the Bulldogs.

The run in the second stood up for pitching ace Brooke Sheehan, who controlled the game the entire way after loading the bases in the first.

“Brooke pitched really well, we had a chit chat, and then she got ahead of some batters and got some strikeouts,” said Eisenhunt.

Sheehan finished strong by striking out 10 Bulldogs and allowing a mere two hits through all seven innings.

Canton dropped to 1-4 overall, but coach Ed Amico was pleased, especially with his pitcher in the circle, Olivia Kenyon.

Kenyon, who allowed only four hits while striking out seven Marauders in six innings of work, matched Sheehan inning for inning until she showed signs of getting tired in the sixth.

“She did a great job, she pitched a great game,” said Amico.

Amico was also pleased with his defense especially the fence-jarring catch right fielder Katie Kelly made in the bottom of the sixth to squash a Dedham rally.

“It was a fabulous catch,” said Amico.

It was in the sixth where the Marauders were able to manufacture some insurance runs.

Catcher Nicole Perosino, who went 2-for-2 with an RBI and threw out a runner at second, doubled in the right-center gap to score the first insurance run.

Dedham added a second run in the sixth when Dozier scored on a passed ball for the final score 3-0.

Perosino said after the win, “This is one of the best teams we’ve had, since I have been here.”

Baseball

Dedham 6, Canton 1

Senior pitcher Brian Coakley picked up the win with a complete-game performance with seven strikeouts.  The Marauders (4-2, 0-2) manufactured their runs on five hits. Pat Maloney came through for Dedham with a bases-loaded single that plated a pair of runs.