Sunapee
Sunapee’s embarrassment of riches was on display Monday afternoon in the Lakers’ 2-0 victory over Derryfield to stay undefeated through 12 straight games. It’s become a recurring story this season, Cruz’s team finding little signs of weakness in an opponent that are eventually exposed for an advantage.
Pitchers’ duels, low-scoring struggles, high-scoring marathons — they’ve all ended the same way.
“I was pleased with some of the base hits that we did put in there,” Cruz said.
“It’s important to get those runners on, put some pressure on and make the plays. They’re a good fielding team. It’s a nice win, especially as we close in on end-of-the-season stuff. We need games like this.”
Sunapee used a detail-oriented offense and a pitching display by junior Katie Frederick to drop Derryfield to 8-4.
An RBI double by Lexie Hamilton drove Rachel Malanga in the third inning to break the scoreless tie, and a leadoff home run in the sixth by Faith Larpenter put icing on the cake.
The Lakers’ victory marks their fifth shutout of the year, having outscored opponents 124-20 in 12 games.
“I am very spoiled,” Cruz said with a laugh. “I can say that, for sure.”
Sunapee’s biggest consistency has been the defensive tandem of Frederick and senior catcher Lexie Hamilton, coming off the program’s first state championship. This season has been a carryover from last year’s softball title and the school’s championship wins in girls basketball this winter and volleyball last fall. Both teams have a presence on this year’s Lakers softball squad.
In big moments the Lakers stay focused, Cruz said. That comes from being used to pressure. And after an undefeated girls basketball season, it’s hard to imagine the 12-0 softball start feeling any different.
“I love how hard they work,” she said. “It’s nice to have the opportunity to try different things. …
“I do count on the beginning of the order to hit. They do, and they want to.”
Much like last year, the passion for softball hasn’t gone away.
Frederick and Derryfield’s Emily Moll traded strong starts on Monday, as the top of the Lakers’ order went three and out in the bottom of the first inning. But Sunapee broke through in the third with four hits, including a double and a bunt, to give the Lakers the lead.
Larpenter’s solo home run in the sixth was her only hit of the game. Hamilton added two hits and made a tough defensive play at the plate, snagging a wild throw from the outfield and making the relay to third base to beat Derryfield’s Enka Wentz back to the bag for the second out of the fourth inning.
“I think that would have gotten past most catchers,” Cruz said. “But for her to grab that, everyone thought it was a passed ball. But she’s quick.”
Frederick finished the game with 13 strikeouts and allowed two walks and four hits in seven innings of work.
For Cruz, her team’s success stems from having a healthy program. Numbers for Laker softball, both at the varsity level and the youth level in town, have increased, providing Sunapee with a deeper bench and more options to choose from.
An undefeated record through 12 games is nothing new for many of Cruz’s returning athletes. In some ways, it’s business as usual. Having the experience of an undefeated season in other sports has granted the Lakers a calm, collected focus.
“(The undefeated record) doesn’t change things at all. These games have been too close,” Cruz said.
Sunapee, which lost twice last year, has been in three games this season that have finished with the Lakers leading by two runs or fewer.
“Anyone can have a bad day at the plate,” Cruz added. “That’s what happens in baseball and softball. The girls stay confident and they stay up, they communicate to each other, they relax and they have fun. It makes it a good day for everyone.”
Sunapee will play four more games before the start of the New Hampshire Division IV tournament, facing opponents with a combined record of 16-28. Other top dogs in the division, including undefeated Gorham (10-0) and Lisbon (10-2), will have to wait until the postseason.
But Cruz isn’t worried. Her team has been here before, in more sports than one. The challenge now is harvesting that focus and pointing it in the right direction.
“I’m a really lucky person to be able to coach a group of girls that just want to play,” she said. “It’s good softball for people to see when it’s back and forth like this.”
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or at 603-727-3306.