SCARBOROUGH — After its 66-game winning streak came to an end last week, Scarborough’s softball team learned two things: It doesn’t like to lose, and no deficit is insurmountable.
Five days after starting a new winning streak by rallying from a four-run deficit to defeat Thornton Academy, the Red Storm earned another come-from-behind victory Wednesday afternoon against South Portland. Scarborough fell behind 3-0 and 5-2, but scored eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and went on to a 10-6 victory.
Angelina Pizzella, who was pulled from the mound the inning before, hit a two-run single to put the Red Storm (9-1) ahead to stay. Jenna Giguere, who got the win in relief of Pizzella, added a two-run double as Scarborough sent 12 batters to the plate.
“I was so impressed with my kids today,” said Scarborough Coach Tom Griffin. “We’ve done this a couple times now. The kids have a lot of confidence and we’re very aggressive at the plate. We know we have to hit the ball to win games, so we’re not shy to swing it.”
The Red Riots (6-4) scored in the first, second and fourth innings, as Elise Connor, Julia Connors (three hits) and Delaney Whitten all had RBI singles.
South Portland pitcher Mia Micucci allowed just one hit in the first three innings, but the Red Storm cut its deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth, as Pizzella had an RBI single and Giguere followed with a sacrifice fly.
The Red Riots went back up by three in the top of the fifth. Maddie Jamieson hit an RBI double and Whitten (four hits, two runs, two RBI) added a run-scoring single.
But in the bottom half, A.J. Swett singled in a run, Sylvia Foley made it 5-4 with a sacrifice fly, and Pizzella singled to center to put the Red Storm ahead to stay.
“I was just trying to relax at the plate,” said Pizzella, who finished with two hits and three RBI. “I was just looking for a pitch down the middle. It worked out.”
Giguere then crushed a pitch to right-center that bounced off the fence for a two-run double.
“(The pitch) was right down the middle and I made good contact,” said Giguere, who also had three RBI. “I thought it might get out. I was disappointed when it hit the fence.”
Calynn Gendreau’s RBI single and an error stretched the lead to 10-5.
South Portland, which finished with 13 hits but stranded nine runners, got a final run in the seventh on a two-out RBI single from Micucci, but pinch hitter Emilie Way grounded out to Scarborough shortstop Mollie Verreault to end it.
“I’m not upset about the game,” said South Portland Coach Ralph Aceto. “We played well, but we have things we need to clean up. We’ve made some defensive changes which have helped us and maybe there will be a few more. Hitting hasn’t been our problem.”
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