By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
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Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger
Desire Beaumont takes a cut against Harwich on Friday. The Whalers lost 12-3 to the Rough Riders at home. |
The Whalers softball team was swept this week in a three-game homestand, losing to Martha’s Vineyard 6-2, Harwich 12-3 and Sacred Heart 3-0.
With the three straight losses the Whalers fall to 1-6 overall on the season and are still looking for consistency in the field and at the plate in the same game.
“We need a bust-out game where we have a good game to gain some confidence,” head coach Chris Maury said.
The Whalers will look to get on the winning side again with match-ups against Bourne and Martha’s Vineyard next week. It will be the second meeting against both teams this season. The Whalers lost to both squads the first time around.
In the second meeting against Sacred Heart (7-2) this season, the Whalers squared off in a pitchers’ duel for much of the game, which remained scoreless into the sixth inning when the Fighting Saints got on the board with a home run and back-to-back singles. While Sacred Heart mustered three runs in the final two innings, Nantucket remained silent. Sacred Heart hurler Lauren Opachinski faced only one batter over the minimum, striking out 16 and walking one.
“Our problem is that we get psyched out by good pitchers. If we put the ball in play, we beat this team. They are not a good fielding team and you could see that,” Maury said.
Opachinski’s mound counterpart Kelsey Fredericks pitched well for the Whalers with 13 strikeouts and four walks, allowing five hits and three earned runs. The Whalers played clean defense through much of the game.
Luciana Moran had the only two hits for the Whalers – a double in the second and a single in the fifth.
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Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger
Jillian Arnold slides safely into second base as shortstop Luciana Moran waits for the throw. The Whalers lost to Harwich 12-3 at home on Friday. |
“When we got someone on base we needed to make something happen, but we were too slow getting off the bag. Against a team like that you have to generate offense,” Maury said.
Against Harwich at home last Friday, the Nantucket bats came out firing in the bottom of the first inning. Aileen Fredericks led off with a single to left and came home to score on a triple to dead centerfield by Aislinn Dugan. In her first at-bat of the season, Kelsey Fredericks ripped a two-run home run to left field, to put the Whalers on top 3-1.
Harwich responded in the second inning with some key base-running, scoring three runs on only one hit. Rough Riders pitcher Marianne Musk settled down and held Nantucket to only two more hits in the game, a single by Samantha Maxwell in the second inning and a single by Kelsey Fredericks in the sixth.
The Whalers hit the ball well, but Harwich made a number of stellar defensive plays including back-to-back stabs by the left fielder and the shortstop, respectively with a runner on base in the third inning.
“I thought we definitely made some improvements (offensively). But then Harwich comes out and basically plays a super defensive game and we can’t put runs on the board,” Maury said.
The Rough Riders took advantage of four Whaler errors and needed only seven hits, four of which came in a four-run fourth inning.
“Harwich played a great game. They showed aggressiveness on both sides of their game. They were really focused. They were reacting to the ball off the bat and on offense they took advantage of every opportunity we gave them.”
Dugan played well at second base for Nantucket, notching seven put-outs and four assists in the game. Kelsey Fredericks pitched seven innings, allowing 12 runs (five earned) on six hits, eight walks and five strikeouts.
Against Martha’s Vineyard last Thursday at home, the Vineyarders came out and scored two unearned runs in the first inning, one run in the second and two more in the third inning to take the early 6-0 advantage.
“The bad news is this is what we have been doing in too many games. We are spotting good teams runs. Softball is a fast-paced game and errors make a huge difference,” Maury said.
Following the two errors to open the game, Desire Beaumont bailed the Whalers out of the first inning with some nice defense. With a runner on first and one out, the junior centerfielder made the fly-ball put-out and tossed to first base to complete the double play.
The Whalers broke the shutout in the sixth inning posting two runs on the board. Aileen Fredericks and Cassie Moran led off with back-to-back singles and scored on two ground ball outs.
Rose Madden started on the hill for Nantucket, pitching two innings and allowing five runs (three earned) on nine hits (eight singles), one strikeout and one walk. Kelsey Fredericks came on in relief and pitched five innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits, one walk and five strikeouts.
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