SACO – In terms of Heal points and playoff seeding, this win meant a lot for Thornton Academy’s softball team. In terms of bonding and team building, it meant everything.
After giving up four runs in the top of the seventh inning to fall behind, the Trojans came back with four of their own in the bottom half to defeat McAuley 11-10 Friday afternoon.
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Megan Fifield’s two-run single drove in Chrissy Remmes with the winning run as the Trojans handed the Lions only their second loss of the season.
“This is a good character win,” said Trojans Coach John Provost. “It’s worth a lot more than Heal points for us. To be able to come back like that after the adversity we faced in the top of the inning says a lot.”
Thornton (8-3) had to rally twice. McAuley (10-2) scored five runs in the first, getting a two-run single from Sara Mercier. The Trojans took a 7-5 lead in the fourth on a three-run homer by pitcher Julia Geaumont.
Then the Lions rallied, loading the bases with two outs in the seventh. They got two runs on RBI singles by Mary Redmond and Gabby Townsend and two more on Thornton errors.
“These kids don’t quit,” said McAuley Coach Robbie Ferrante of his young team. “But you’ve got to play seven innings, especially against the better teams.
“The momentum shifted. We had to get the first out (in the bottom of the seventh) and we didn’t.”
Thornton got all its runs in the inning with no outs. Sammi Martemucci led off with her fourth single. Then Geaumont, who also had four hits, doubled her to third.
Kristen Duross followed with a walk to load the bases. Remmes, perhaps the fastest player on Thornton, singled in the first run. Molly Wiggin then scored on a wild pitch, the other runners moving up to second and third, to make it 11-9. Vanessa McCrum hit a grounder to third and was safe when no throw was made to first.
Then Fifield stepped in. A pull hitter, she lined a pitch to right-center field, scoring Duross and Remmes, who slid in to beat the throw.
“We were working with (Fifield) all week,” said Provost. “She never hits the ball to the right side. That’s the first time all season she’s done it.”
“My wrists are too quick sometimes,” said Fifield. “I pull it every time, but I really focused on hitting that way all week.
“I just wanted to get the ball past the infield. I knew (Remmes) would score.”
Thornton had two runners thrown out at home earlier, but Provost never hesitated in sending Remmes. In fact, just before Fifield batted, he spoke to Remmes.
“He told me, ‘If I tell you to go, go,’” said Remmes. “So I did. I knew (Fifield) would come through.”
It came down to the last at-bat.
“We were not quitting,” said Geaumont. “Everyone was cheering everyone on. We were all believing. We wanted it bad.”
Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at: mlowe@pressherald.com
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