The Queens are Crowned: Dennis-Yarmouth Blanks Marshfield for Share of ACL Title

MARSHFIELD – By the sound of the softball exploding into catcher Maggie Johnson’s mitt Friday afternoon, Sammi Feinstein brought her “A” game.

“Sammi is just recovering from an oblique injury and I didn’t want her to go back-to-back,” Dennis-Yarmouth head coach Mike Bonasia said, referring to Hailey Miller’s gem on Thursday. “Sammi threw a masterpiece today.”

Dennis-Yarmouth ace Sammi Feinstein was a portrait of poise and precision in her 4-0 shutout over the Marshfield Rams for share of the ACL title Friday night. Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports

Dennis-Yarmouth ace Sammi Feinstein was a portrait of poise and precision in her 4-0 shutout over the Marshfield Rams for share of the ACL title Friday night.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports

Feinstein was near-flawless as she spun a seven-inning, 4-0 shutout over the hosts and with it came only the second Atlantic Coast League championship title in Bonasia’s 29-year career at the Dolphin helm, a career that began in 1987. The last softball title for the Dolphin girls was in 2007.

“It’s huge,” Bonasia said. “It’s the way the entire team played and that what we’ve been doing all season. We talk about working together, working hard, setting the table and clearing it. The most important thing is we’re family here.”

Feinstein fanned seven in the effort, walked none and scattered five hits. She retired the side in each of the first three innings of the game and after her teammates staked her three runs in the top of the fourth her smile grew exponentially each inning she came off the field and the Rams had still not located a chink in her armor.

Feinstein’s catcher – Johnson – was rock solid behind the dish throughout the game but equally as potent while swinging the stick: she went 4-4 on the day.

It was Johnson who set the table in the Dolphin’s three-run fourth, leading off with a single. Bailee Cooney, who came in to pinch run for Johnson, then advanced on a Coyle basehit. Hailey Miller – who went 2-3 with one RBI – then drove in Cooney for the only run, really, Feinstein would need to close the deal.

Leftfielder Ali Pluciniski (2-3, 2 RBI) made sure of it, though, as she followed Miller’s rip with a two-run triple that made it 3-0.

The sense of togetherness emanating from the Dennis-Yarmouth dugout seemed so strong it was nearly palpable from the first pitch to the last, even when Bonasia made a key substitution in the sixth.

D-Y catcher Maggie Johnson was spectacular behind the plate and when hitting: she went 4-4 on the day. Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports

D-Y catcher Maggie Johnson was spectacular behind the plate and when hitting: she went 4-4 on the day.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports

“When Grace Bent got up, you know, coming up to varsity after playing jayvee all season, and they all rallied around her, that makes me feel good,” Bonasia said.

The Dolphins carried a 3-0 lead from the fourth to the seventh frame and there was evidence of jitters creeping into the field with a couple of loosely played ground balls in the infield, but the guests kept their collective eyes on the prize, so to speak, were able to shake it off and shut the door.

“Defensively, we made some great plays out there. Our third baseman (Abby Higgins) and Patty (Newhard) made a great catch. We scored a few runs and from there we were able to shut them down,” Bonasia said.

Marshfield ace Kaylen McClarey was nearly as impressive. She went the distance, struck out eight and walked none, but the Dennis-Yarmouth bats were just too solid when it counted most.

All totaled, the Dolphins banged out 11 hits.

Perhaps the dagger in Marshfield’s heart came in the top of the seventh inning when Dennis-Yarmouth leadoff hitter Taylor Conley hammered a triple to get things rolling and then came home on a Johnson basehit up the middle that made it 4-0.

Marshfield leadoff hitter Autumn Brown and sophomore Ellie Fleming each had two hits out of the five afforded by Feinstein on the day.

Saturday, Bonasia’s girls wrap up the regular season with a non-league doubleheader against Pembroke at home starting at 1:00 pm.

— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm

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