SCARBOROUGH — Scarborough’s softball team believes it has something to prove this spring, and the Red Storm made a powerful statement in their first big test Thursday afternoon at Kippy Mitchell Sports Complex.
Hosting unbeaten and highly-touted Gorham in an early season showdown, Scarborough shook off a couple shaky innings, then took control the way it always does, with strong pitching, flawless defense and relentless hitting.
Sophomore pitcher Angelina Pizzella retired 15 straight batters in one stretch, and the Red Storm finished with 11 hits in a 10-2 victory.
Scarborough (3-0) won its 63rd consecutive game and showed that reports of its mortality might have been premature.
“I think we have a chip on our shoulders right now,” said Scarborough’s longtime coach, Tom Griffin. “Everyone wants to be the first team to knock us off. The kids are so determined not to let that happen.”
Gorham (3-1) scored in the top of the first when Tatyanna Biamby walked on four pitches, stole second and raced home on a bloop double from Molly Murray.
Scarborough roared right back in its half of the inning against Gorham starter Amber Bretton, tying it on an RBI single from Sylvia Foley, then going ahead on an error.
The Rams pulled even in the second on a two-out double from Sophia DiPhilippo, but Gorham didn’t get another hit until the seventh.
In the bottom of the second, the Red Storm broke it open. One run scored on an error and another on a sacrifice fly. Foley then singled in a run, Pizzella helped herself with an RBI double, and another run scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-2.
While Pizzella was shutting down the Rams, Scarborough made it 8-2 in the third when Mollie Verreault doubled, took third on a wild pitch and scored on A.J. Swett’s bunt single.
“I think people expected us to be not as good as we’ve been in the past, just because we lost a couple key players, but we have a whole group of underclassmen coming up who have played really well,” said Verreault.
The Red Storm completed their scoring in the fifth. Verreault drove in a run with a bunt single and the final run scored on another wild pitch.
Pizzella finished her four-hitter by getting Riley Grant to ground back to the mound for the last out.
“I was pretty nervous at first,” said Pizzella, who won her first varsity start. “I got my jitters out and got my confidence back. My drop (ball) hasn’t worked that well in a long time. My defense boosted my confidence.”
Gorham Coach Phil McGouldrick said his team will lick its wounds and hope to get another shot at Scarborough in the playoffs.
“We made (the game) bigger than what it should have been,” McGouldrick said. “The kids made uncharacteristic mistakes we don’t normally make. The kids were pressing and trying to get it all back with one swing.
“We’re so young. We start six freshmen and sophomores. I told the girls it’s a good early-season loss. It should fire us up.”
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