2009 Cumberland Majors Softball All-Stars

Cumberland at North Smithfield

Friday, July 10, 2009/6pm – Pacheco Park

It was the final game of the loser’s bracket. The winner would advance to the championship game against Lincoln. For the loser, it would be the end of the season. Cumberland traveled to North Smithfield’s Pacheco Park for the game. In the end, North Smithfield prevailed by a score of 5 – 2.

North Smithfield’s Crystal Goudreau got the win, pitching a complete game. Pitching duties for Cumberland were shared by Haley Bouley and Juliet Nelson.

Cumberland won the coin toss and Bouley started on the mound. Nelson at third combined with Amanda Amidon at first for the first out. Up next was DiPari, who reached second on an error. She was followed by Jess Tremblay who fired a fly into left field, earning a double and bringing in DiPari. Two quick outs and the top of the first was done.

Cumberland answered back in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Amanda Pepin hit a line drive into left center for a single. With two outs, Nelson hit a grounder to the shortstop, reached on an error on the throw and Pepin scored. After one, the score was tied at 1 – 1.

Cumberland took care of business in the top of the second, retiring three in a row, including a spectacular catch by center fielder Kenzie Magnan. Cumberland picked up another run in the bottom of the second when Sara Lafreniere drew a walk and pinch runner Janelle Hashway scored on a passed ball. After two, Cumberland led 2 – 1.

North Smithfield broke the game open in the top of the third when the first batter, Pascarello, reached on a fly to left. That brought up the top of the order. Michaela Brodeur reached on an error. Cumberland catcher, Hannah Fagnant, caught a tough popup by DiPari for the first out. The next three batters, Trembley, Gould and Turcotte, each earned singles with Gould and Turcotte each driving in a run. Trembley scored on a passed ball. The #6 batter in the order, Barber, reached on an error and drove in the fourth run of the inning. Bouley whiffed the next, and the inning was over when Lafreniere at second snagged a line drive for the third out.

North Smithfield showed some tough defense in the bottom of the third, facing the top of Cumberland’s order and taking care of business. After three innings, North Smithfield led 5 – 2.

Nelson came in for the final three innings. After walking the first batter, the top of North Smithfield’s order came up. Pepin fielded a grounder by Brodeur for the first out. Erin Rosa at second fielded a hard hit gounder by DiPari for the second out. Bouley, at third, fired a rocket to Amidon at first to beat out the quick Trembley for the third out.

Cumberland threatened in the bottom of the fourth, with Nelson and Bouley reaching, but unable to score. After four, North Smithfield led 5 – 2.

It was a quick fifth for both teams, with three up and three down.

In the sixth, both pitchers were the only batters to reach, both were left stranded.

North Smithfield advances to the District 4 championship game by a score of 5 – 2.

Cumberland at Lincoln

Wednesday, July 8, 2009/6pm – Saylesville Elementary

In a much anticipated showdown between two strong teams, Cumberland traveled to Lincoln for their third game of the District IV tournament and after a game that saw four lead changes, lost to Lincoln 6 – 3.

Cumberland started strong, with their second batter, Kenzie Magnan reaching on a shallow fly to left center and was followed by Amanda Pepin, firing a shot up the middle. Speedy Magnan raced around the bases to score. That was followed by walks to both Juliet Nelson and Haley Bouley to load the bases. They were all left stranded when Lincoln came up with two more outs.

The bottom of the first was 1-2-3, with pitcher Nelson whiffing the first, then fielding the next two, a bunt and a grounder, for three quick outs. After one, Cumberland led 1 – 0.

Cumberland left one stranded at second in the top of the second when catcher Janelle Hashway reached on a walk, and advanced on Olivia Sherman’s sacrifice bunt.

Lincoln got on the board in the bottom of the second. After the first batter struck out, left fielder Kathleen Barbieri singled with a popup just out of reach of shortstop Pepin. The next batter, Kellyn Dyer, reached on an error. Nelson fielded a grounder to throw out the next batter for the second out. One run scored on a passed ball. That was followed by center fielder Crystal Goudreau, who also reached on an error and brought in the other runner. The final out came on a grounder back to the pitcher. After two, Lincoln led 2 – 1.

Cumberland answered back in the top of the third when, with one out, Nelson fired a fly ball over the heads of the outfielders for an easy triple. Bouley walked. With runners on first and third, Fagnant rocketed the ball to right field for a double that brought in the two runners.

The lead wouldn’t last long, with the top of Lincoln’s order up in the bottom of the third. After the first batter struck out, Casey Beauchemin hit a fly ball into center field for a double. She advanced and stole home on a passed ball. Albanese reached on an error, advanced and made it home on pitcher Alyssa Schermerhorn’s hit up the right side. Schermerhorn scored and after three, Lincoln led 5 – 3.

Cumberland wouldn’t score again. In the fourth with two outs, Magnan hit a nice fly that hugged the first base line for a double, but was left stranded.

The bottom of the fourth had Lincoln adding one more for their side when Beauchemin reached on a shallow fly to left and worked her way around the bases.

After four, Lincoln led 6 -3.

Cumberland was unable to land a runner on base in either the fifth or the sixth. Final score 6 – 3.

Glocester at Cumberland

Friday, July 3, 2009/6pm – Bentley C

The rain finally held off long enough to get Cumberland’s second game of the All Star Tournament in. Cumberland took this one by a score of 20 – 2 in four innings.

Bea Caron was on the mound for Cumberland. After she struck out the first two Glocester batters, the third batter hit a grounder up the first base line. Amanda Amidon made short work of it by scooping it up and tagging the base. Cumberland came up in the bottom of the first with their bats ready. After lead-off batter Olivia Sherman drew a walk, speedy Kenzie Magnan fired a shot into left and beat out the throw by the shortstop. Amanda Pepin walked, with Sherman scoring on one of the passed balls. Juliet Nelson was up next, hitting a grounder into right center, plating Magnan and reaching 2nd. Hannah Fagnant fired another grounder toward short and reached when the first baseman missed the throw. Pepin scored on Fagnant’s hit. Amidon came up and fired a fly into right field, but not before Nelson scored on another passed ball. Glocester executed a great double play when Janelle Hashaway’s line drive was caught by the shortstop K Peloquin, who fired to the second baseman C Leblanc to catch Amidon off the bag. With two outs, Erin Rosa was up next and walked, followed by pitcher Caron who singled on a fly to right field and brought in Fagnant.

With two outs, the top of the order came back up and Sherman drew her second walk of the inning. Magnan laid down a perfect bunt and beat it out when the defense tried to tag Caron at third. Pepin rocketed a fly into deep left and plated two on the single, She was followed by Nelson who repeated with a fly to deep left and plated two more. Fagnant and Amidon singled. Hashaway walked and Rosa singled. The final out came when the ball hit the bat twice on Caron’s bunt. After one, Cumberland led 12 – 0.

Caron was back on the mound for the second and whiffed the first batter. She combined with Amidon at first for the second out, then the next batter walked. Pepin at short made a great play to field a hard hit grounder, throwing the runner out at first.

The bottom of the second had Cumberland back at the top of their order and Glocester firming up their defense. Sherman walked, but then Magnan hit a grounder to the first baseman for the first out. Pepin walked, but was out when Nelson’s hit to the shortstop was tossed to the waiting second baseman in a well-executed play. That hit drove in the only run of the inning when Sherman scored. Fagnant walked, but Cumberland left two stranded. Score after two was 13 – 0.

Glocester came out firing in the third. After the first batter struck out, J Sylvia got Glocester’s first hit of the game when she hit a grounder into left, reaching first. When she tried to steal second, she was caught in a rundown (1-3-6-3-6-4) and was finally tagged out by second baseman Rosa. Glocester bounced back when leadoff batter A Goudreau walked and C Leblanc singled into right field and H Talbert reached on a fielder’s choice. Number 4 batter K Peloquin drove in two with a hard hit grounder into right field. Caron ended the rally with a strikeout of the next batter.

Cumberland answered back in the bottom of the third, scoring seven more runs. Rachel Gillardi earned two RBIs with a big fly ball to right field. After three innings, Cumberland led 20 – 2.

Olivia Sherman was on the mound to close the game for Cumberland. Magnan in center made a spectacular catch when Glocester’s M Lemoine hit a fly ball into center field. Sherman whiffed two for the final two outs of the game.

Final score 20 – 2.

North Smithfield at Cumberland

Tuesday, June 30, 2009/6pm - Diamond Hill

Cumberland hosted North Smithfield in the first round of the District 4 Softball Majors Tournament, defeating North Smithfield 7 – 0.

North Smithfield came out firing in the first inning. After the lead-off batter grounded out, Gomes singled, Nicole Turcotte doubled and Jessica Tremblay walked to load the bases with one out. Cumberland’s pitcher, Juliet Nelson, whiffed the next batter and fielded a bunt by North Smithfield’s pitcher, Karissa Carlton, tossing it to catcher Hannah Fagnant to get the third out at the plate and hold North Smithfield scoreless .

With two outs, Cumberland’s #3 batter, Fagnant drew a walk. Nelson blasted a double up the first base line and was followed by 3^rd baseman Haley Bouley, who doubled with a fly into right center, bringing in the two runners. At the end of the first inning, Cumberland was up 2 – 0.

Nelson faced the bottom of North Smithfield’s order in the second, retiring all three. Cumberland plated another run in the bottom of the second when Erin Rosa drew a walk, stole second, then scored when Amanda Pepin hit a grounder past second base. After two, Cumberland led 3 – 0.

The top of North Smithfield’s order came up in the top of the third, with Cumberland facing just three batters. The second batter, Gomes again blasted the ball, this time into center field, but Cumberland’s Bea Caron made a spectacular catch to rob her of the base. Shortstop Amanda Pepin fielded the other two hits to throw out the batters, firing to first baseman Amanda Amidon.

The bottom of the third had North Smithfield facing batters 4, 5 and 6 in Cumberland’s lineup. Nelson led off the inning with a base hit to shallow left. Bouley followed with another monster fly to center field, scoring Nelson and earning a double. Bouley scored on passed balls. At the end of three, Cumberland led 5 – 0.

Nelson walked the first batter in the top of the fourth, then the next three retired (6-3, K, 5-3), leaving the runner stranded on third. Carlton shut down the Cumberland bats in the bottom of the fourth.

North Smithfield’s Brodeur reached on an error with one out in the top of the fifth and quickly stole second. The next batter, Pascarelli, smashed a line drive to right field that was caught by Janelle Hashaway. Cumberland’s right fielder quickly threw to shortstop Pepin who was waiting at second. The runner was out when she tried to tag up. Cumberland ended the inning with a perfectly executed double play.

Cumberland added a couple of insurance runs when Nelson led off with a huge fly ball that landed just a few feet in front of the fence in left center, earning a triple. Boulay smashed her third double in as many trips to the plate, scoring Nelson. Amidon followed with a hard hit grounder to plate Bouley. After five innings, Cumberland led 7 – 0.

Nelson closed out the game, facing batters 2, 3 and 4. Pepin and Amidon combined for the first out. Nelson whiffed the second batter, and then Amidon tagged the third batter after fielding a grounder that was hit up the first base line for the final out of the game.