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Photo by Jim Powers
Sally Benson slides safely into home on a single by Angela Paterson in the fourth inning of Saturday’s 14-3 victory over Millis in the first round of the Division III South Sectional playoffs. The Whalers beat Greater New Bedford Voke 4-1 Monday to advance to the semifinals. |
By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
The second-seeded varsity softball team advanced to the semifinal round of the Division III South Sectional postseason tournament for the third straight season with two wins this week.
Nantucket defeated 15th-seeded Millis 14-3 in the first round Saturday and then topped 10th-seeded Greater New Bedford Voke 4-1 in the quarterfinals Monday.
The Whalers, who improved to 18-3, drew a match-up against third-seeded West Bridgewater in Taunton Wednesday, too late for this edition of Sports.
In the first two games of the playoffs, the squad has relied on timely hitting and aggressive baserunning paired with solid defense and dominant pitching to keep its opponents at bay.
“I think they have done just exactly what we have asked them to do. They are a very good team. They play together, they are not selfish, they don’t worry about who is doing what and who is getting credit for what. They play together,” head coach Chris Maury said. “They are as good as anybody in this tournament.”
The Whalers matched up with a solid 10th-seeded Greater New Bedford Voke (13-9) team Monday at home.
“That is definitely the best team we have seen all year. Probably one of the better teams I have seen since I have been coaching here. They played very good defense. Both sides played well defensively and came up with hits in the right moments,” Maury said.
While both teams were successful, the Whalers had the edge throughout the game.
“Our hitting gave us the edge, our hitting and our baserunning. We just did what we have been doing all season long and took advantage of any little mistake they made,” Maury said.
Greater New Bedford made only one error, which did not lead to a run, while the Whalers played errorless ball. The Whalers outfield of Morgan Dugan in left, Angela Paterson in center and Grace-Anne Tornovish in right retired seven batters, including two on clutch catches by Dugan and Paterson in the sixth inning with runners on base.
The Whalers took the lead in the first. Jessica Guevara led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Sally Benson. Paterson drove her home with a single to stake the Whalers to the 1-0 advantage.
In the second Nantucket plated two more. Kelly Reid walked and scored on a one-out triple from Grace-Anne Tornovish, who came across on a bunt single from Morgan Tornovish.
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Photo by Jim Powers
Grace-Anne Tornovish, left, and Thayer Dugan, right, congratulate Angela Paterson for a clutch catch in center field to end a bases-loaded threat by Greater New Bedford Voke Monday at home. |
In the top of the sixth the Bears finally got to Guevara. With a runner on second, Morgan Dugan made a key catch in left for the second out of the inning. Greater New Bedford followed by plating its only run of the game on a single, but then loaded the bases with the go-ahead runs with another single and a walk. Paterson made the second highlight grab of the inning, preventing the runs from scoring and ending the threat with the Whalers holding a two-run lead at 3-1.
Lindsay Fry gave Nantucket some breathing room with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the inning. Kelly Reid came on to close out the game without allowing a run in the seventh.
First round
The Whalers went up against the lowest seed in the Division III South tournament Saturday. Fifteenth-seeded Millis came to the island with an overall mark of 4-15, playing most of its games in the Division II Tri Valley League.
“I was concerned with Millis coming in. I know that the Tri Valley League, it is a very tough league with some of the best softball teams in the state. Even though they don’t come in with a good record, they see good competition and that’s why they have been successful,” Maury said.
The Whalers got started with one run in the first, but tacked on seven in the second on seven singles.
“We came out and established ourselves so early that we kind of took them right out of the game,” Maury said. “They were a good team. We just hit the ball and we hit it where they weren’t. We singled them to death. Any time you do that, you are going to score runs.”
Nantucket broke it open with five more runs in the fourth highlighted by back-to-back two-run doubles from Guevara and Benson.
The top of the order provided most of the production for the Whalers in the win. The top three hitters went 12-for-15 with seven runs scored and nine RBI.
Guevara led the offensive attack with a perfect 5-for-5 day at the plate with four singles and a double, four runs scored and three RBI. Benson also had a solid day, going 4-for-5 with three singles, a double and three RBI, moving up to the two-spot behind Guevara. Paterson and Morgan Dugan had three hits each as the Whalers pounded out 21 in the game.
Guevara also got the start on the mound and tossed the first five innings, allowing a run in both the fourth and fifth innings on four hits and two walks. Reid closed out the final two innings, allowing one unearned run without a hit.
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