HYANNIS – Nothing could taste sweeter than picking up a much-needed first victory of the season and doing so against your archrivals.
That’s precisely the feeling the host Barnstable High girls’ softball team (1-3) experienced Monday afternoon as it defeated its rival Falmouth High Clippers (2-3), 4-2, beneath battleship
Barnstable High sophomore pitcher Kristen Stephani stymied the Falmouth Clippers Monday for the Red Raiders’ first win of the season, 4-2.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
gray skies and in spite of bitter winds.
“It’s an honor to watch this team grow every day,” said first-year head coach Martha Deusser. “It’s what the game is all about.”
Down 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Barnstable came alive with one out and staged a four-run rally – it’s first such rally of the season and most runs its scored in four games – started by leadoff hitter Shyanne Pires when she singled.
Second baseman Danielle Curtin followed with a walk, Jaime Corey singled to load the bases and then Sara Higgins grounded to first to tie it at 1-1.
Red raider third baseman Cassidy Lariviere then reached on a fielder’s choice, driving in the go-ahead run to make it 2-1 and Mia Crawley came through in the clutch with an RBI-single to make it 3-1. Ashlie Curtiss then singled and the Red Raiders finished the frame with a 4-1 lead.
That was apparently all that Barnstable starting pitcher Kristen Stephani needed to bolster her confidence as she held the fiery Clipper girls to just one run in the top of the seventh inning and got herself out of a jam with the tying runs on base on a nice play in rightfield by sophomore Shannon Kennedy-Cabral. It was Stephani’s – and Barnstable High’s – first win of the season.
The win spoiled a solid effort by Falmouth pitcher Kathleen Desmond who struck out nine batters and walked just two in six innings of work.
Stephanie struck out five and went the complete seven frames, scattering five hits and walking four. None of her runs allowed were earned.
“Stephani was phenomenal,” Coach Deusser said. “(She was) truly our MVP. (She) never gives up.”
The Barnstable outfielders – Kennedy-Cabral, Higgins, Pires – played a critical role in the win, robbing Falmouth of several hits with six putouts.
“Defensively our outfield has come leaps and bounds,” Deusser said.
Barnstable seniors Pires and Corey both went 2-4 on the day to pace the Red Raider lineup, while sophomore Higgins went 1-4 with one RBI. Lariviere also went 2-4 with an RBI and could not have garnered more praise from her coach following the win.
“She (Lariviere) has been solid on both sides on the ball,” Deusser said.”(She’s) really stepping up!”
Junior Mia Crawley also went 1-4 with one RBI to round out the Red Raider offensive attack. All totaled, Barnstable raked out eight hits in their best effort to date.
Falmouth’s Desmond went 1-2 and reached twice more via the free pass, while Clipper teammates Kat Bresko, Andrea Dell’Anno and catcher Kelly Ferreira each had solo tallies.
“These kids work so hard and have become true students of the game,” Coach Deusser said. “And it’s paying off.”
Barnstable next welcomes Sandwich on Wednesday (April 22) at 3:00 pm while Falmouth is slated to face Upper Cape Tech Tuesday (April 21) at home at 11:00 am.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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