In a match-up of two of the Western Maine Conference’s finest softball hurlers, Fryeburg Academy used a four-run sixth inning to defeat Gray-New Gloucester 5-1 on Monday in Gray.
Sophomore Laura Getchell pitched a complete game for Gray-New Gloucester, striking out 14 while allowing five hits. She now has 139 strikeouts on the year. The Patriots fell to 7-3 with the defeat, which snapped a seven-game win streak.
Junior Hannah Hill improved both her and her team’s record to 10-1. She has pitched every inning for the Raiders since her freshman year, Fryeburg coach Fred Apt said. She struck out 15 and allowed four hits.
Hill had three of her team’s hits, including a leadoff homer in the fourth inning to deep left field that rolled and rolled in the fenceless outfield. She crossed home plate standing to put Fryeburg up 1-0.
“Hannah Hill, I don’t even know where to pitch her,” Getchell said. “I tried up and in, I tried low and away. She’s just one of those hitters where if you strike her out, you’re really lucky because it doesn’t happen often. I tried to throw her up and away and she just knocked the heck out of it.”
Hill took a perfect game into the bottom of the fourth before Abby Ryan singled down the first base line with two outs for the Patriots.
In the top of the sixth inning, Brylie Walker led off for the Raiders with an infield single. She stole second and third, and then scored on a throwing error. Hill followed with a single and scored when the next batter, Heather Tripp, homered to center. Cerise Humprey then walked, stole second and third, and scored on Tonya Randall’s sacrifice fly to put Fryeburg up 5-0.
“We battled for six innings,” said Gray-New Gloucester coach Melanie Craig. “We had one inning where we lost it mentally and a team like that, they’re going to sneak in and put up a couple.”
The Patriots got a run back in the bottom of the sixth. Taylor Damon singled to center with one out. After Alicia Valente’s bunt attempt hit her in fair ground and she was ruled out, Ryan singled and advanced to second on a throwing error. Damon moved to third and then scored on a wild pitch. It was only the third run scored against Fryeburg this season. Hill got a strikeout to end the sixth, then retired the Patriots in order in the seventh.
On Friday, the Raiders knocked off previously undefeated Cape Elizabeth 1-0. Apt said facing Cape’s star pitcher Tricia Thibodeau helped his team prepare for Getchell.
“There’s great pitching in our league,” Apt said. “We knew we had to be aggressive. Getchell’s got a great rise-ball.”
Craig knows that Getchell gives her team a chance to win every time it takes the field. Sometimes, though, her success on the mound can leave her fielders a bit complacent.
“We have to be careful that we don’t get caught watching,” Craig said. “Sometimes I think we’ll sit back on our heels a little bit and watch Getchell throw. We have to be ready to play every time, every pitch, because if they get a hold of that ball like they did today, Getchell needs the seven people behind her.”
In grading her performance, Getchell was pretty hard on herself.
“I felt pretty good, but they’re a tough team and they’re hard to beat. I had to bring my ‘A’ game and instead I brought my ‘B’ game,” Getchell said.
She also deflected praise for her average of nearly 14 strikeouts per game. She said she couldn’t do it without her battery mate, Ryan.
“I owe it all to my catcher,” Getchell said. “She does everything. She’s the brains behind the operation. I just throw the ball.”
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