FREEPORT – The Patriots fired off two runs in the fifth on their way to 5-0 victory over the Falcons Friday afternoon. Teammates Sam Wilkins and Maria Valente blasted shots into center to launch the attack, and both crossed home plate before Freeport pitcher Leigh Wyman threw one of her eight strikeouts to stop the bleeding. The relief was only temporary, however, and Gray-New Gloucester emerged triumphant, 5-0.
“Focus,” Patriots’ head coach Amanda Harmon said of her team’s keys to victory. “Commitment, I think, too. I think they committed to each play, offense in the box, and defense, committing to reacting to the ball, making the play, following through.”
The Patriots improve to 5-3 on the season, while the Falcons drop to 3-4.
Neither team scored in the first, but Gray-New Gloucester struck in the second, scoring when Anna Knapp landed herself on first base and three batters later Lindsay Nunley belted the hit that drove Knapp home.
“They got some timely hitting,” Freeport head coach Mike Perry said, after the game. He complimented Gray-New Gloucester’s hit selection as well. “They got some bunts down that we didn’t play.”
“We got kids on base, and we didn’t get them off … we just couldn’t get a run across … It seemed like we had three or four chances,” Perry said.
The Falcons’ first chance came in the first inning, when leadoff hitter Lauren Cormier smacked a bast-hit, but never made it home again, a situation that “might’ve set the tone differently,” Perry said, had it turned out in Freeport’s favor.
Perry applauded Cormier’s performance.
“I think [Cormier] got on base three times today,” he said. Nevertheless, he lamented his offense’s inability to follow through. “Your leadoff runner gets on base three times and you don’t score – that hurts.”
The Patriots took a breather in the third, but scored their second run in the fourth, when Knapp rocketed a triple to deep center. Abby Ordway, Gray-New Gloucester’s next hitter, bunted, making it safely to first while Knapp made it safely home.
“They were one-running us, one-running us, one-running us,” Perry said of the Patriots offense, which built its lead slowly over several innings.
But the fourth inning was merely a prelude to the fifth, which Wilkins opened with a club to center that got her to second. Valente followed her to the plate and cracked nearly the same hit, advancing Wilkins to third. An errant Freeport pitch gave her the opportunity to steal home – and she took it. Two batters later, Ordway hit yet another double to center field, bringing Valente home again.
“Defensively we played all right,” Perry said, adding, “Our pitching was OK. I think we just need to get better at the little things. Fielding the bunts and running the bases,” he said, underscoring his earlier remarks. “Those little things add up during the course of a game, so it’s just, keep working on those and try to get better.”
The Patriots’ final run came in the sixth, when Lindsay Nunley got a base hit. Wyman then walked Wilkins before catcher Alex Thompson stepped to the plate. She knocked a double into center, allowing Nunley to score, but overran second slightly, giving Falcon’s second baseman Hannah Chase, who had the ball, a chance to tag Thompson out. Thompson ran for third, and nearly got caught in a pickle, though Chase touched her with the ball before the back-and-forth could begin.
“Alex Thompson, our shortstop,” Harmon said, when asked which of her players had excellent games. “She had a couple great plays, knocking down the ball and keeping it in the infield and still throwing to first.” Harmon praised Thompson’s batting as well. “She got on base and was aggressive.”
“For hitting, Sam Wilkins,” Harmon added. “She had two up the middle, and she’s also aggressive on the bases for us.”
“[As] a whole team, we came back, were focused for every play,” Harmon said. “You know, came out with the desire to win, and didn’t really have a lull moment where we kind of picked daisies.”
“You see the actual physical plays,” Patriots assistant coach Tarka Anderson said, “but what people don’t see on the sidelines is that the entire team held everybody up today. When you made an error, nobody dropped their head. The team was confident.”
Valente got the shutout win, giving up five hits, striking out six, and walking nobody. Gray played nearly errorless softball, committing only two. Wyman took the loss, giving up ten hits. In addition to striking out eight, she walked only one. The Falcons committed seven errors.
Gray-New Gloucester battles York at home on Monday, May 6, at 4 p.m. Freeport hosts Greely next. That game is also scheduled for 4 p.m. on Monday.
Patriots runner Anna Knapp slides into third against Falcons baseman Necole Harrison. Gray-New Gloucester defeated Freeport, 5-0.
Freeport third baseman Necole Harrison watches home plate Friday afternoon.
Gray-New Gloucester pitcher Maria Valente releases a throw towards home against Freeport Friday afternoon.
Gray-New Gloucester’s Sam Wilkins eyeballs her target as it speeds towards home Friday afternoon.
Patriot Abby Ordway slides into second Friday afternoon while Falcons’ second baseman Hannah Chase looks for the call from the umpire.
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