HYANNIS – The stage was set for pure softball drama.
Down 7-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the St. John Paul II Lions plated two runs to tie it and then walked off with an 8-7 win over visiting Sturgis West in the bottom the ninth inning with two outs.
St. John Paul II catcher Hadley Tate went 2-4 with a home run and a double and two RBI to help the Lions to an 8-7 walkoff victory at home versus a tough Sturgis West team Thursday afternoon in Hyannis.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
Lions’ shortstop Kasey Smith delivered the game-winning hit when she drove in Anna Widdison who had reached safely with a one-out basehit. Widdison advanced to second base on a Kali Tanguay basehit to put runners on first and second and then both advanced on a nice Katie Wojciechowski sacrifice bunt. With runners on second and third, Smith, the Lions’ leadoff hitter, laced it to left center for the walk-off, 8-7 win.
The hit made a winner out of sister Jackie Smith on the mound to give the senior righty a 4-0 record on the season, while her Lions also remain unbeaten at 4-0. Sturgis West drops to 1-1 on the season.
The Lions jumped out to an early, 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on hits from Jackie Smith, Sam Carlowicz, Kristen Hayes and Madi Doyle, but Sturgis West hurler Mimi Crowley fanned Widdison before any more damage could be administered by the host Lions.
St. John Paul II ‘s early 2-0 lead was fairly short-lived, however, as West staged a two-run comeback in the top of the second. Mary Kane led off with a walk, then came screaming home on a Rachel Gardner RBI-triple to make it 2-1, then Gardner scored on a Shannon Crowley RBI-basehit that made it an even 2-2.
Jackie Smith settled down to get out of it and then held West scoreless in the top of the third inning. In the bottom of the third, St. John Paul II got back on top, 4-2, thanks to a rip-city, two-run, four-bag blast from catcher Hadley Tate who drove in herself and battery mate Jackie Smith.
The game proved to be a true battle in the top of the fourth inning when Sturgis West’s Gardner answered with her own home run blast – a solo shot – that made it 4-3, followed by a Shannon Crowley basehit. Crowley scored on an error to make it 4-4.
St. John Paul II leadoff hitter Kasey Smith provided the game-winning fireworks for the Lions in Thursday’s 8-7 extra-innings walk-off win.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
The old stonedust confines of Pine Avenue came alive once again in the bottom half of the fourth when Widdison led off with a basehit for the Lions and eventually scored on an error to give the hosts a 5-4 lead.
Sturgis West did not want to lay down and die, however, as the Navigators put up three huge runs in the top of the fifth inning to gain the lead at 7-5 with Mimi Crowley, Gardner, Shannon Crowley and Mary LoPiccolo each picking up huge hits. Gardner just missed going for the cycle on the afternoon, belting a triple, double and home run. She went 3-4 on the day.
The hosts sent the game into extra innings when they tied it at 7-7 in the bottom of the seventh inning, thanks to a leadoff double from Tate (2-4, 2 RBI), followed by a Carlowicz double and singles from Hayes and Widdison.
Mimi Crowley escaped a huge jam in the bottom of the 8th with Tate (walk) and Carlowicz in scoring position, but Kasey Smith provided the fireworks in the ninth for the win.
St. John Paul II (4-0) heads to Mashpee Friday (April 10) for a 4:00 pm match-up and Sturgis West (1-1) hopes to get back on the winning track on Tuesday (April 14) at Nantucket.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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