CLAREMONT — It’s a daunting task — at least on paper — for the Stevens High softball team: continue to compete against bigger schools in NHIAA Division II after years in D-III. But Missy Nichols, in her 17th season at the helm, believes the transition is more of a mental hurdle than a major difference in talent, even if the competition remains uncharted territory.
A part of that intimidating facade went away on Wednesday afternoon as the Cardinals fell, 3-2, to Pembroke at Veterans Park. Stevens took a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning before Pembroke pitcher Chloe Carignan sent a two-out, two-run double into deep center field to give the Spartans its first lead of the game. The Cardinals stranded the tying run on second with a strikeout, a pop-up and a fly ball caught in deep right field to start the spring 0-2.
Not exactly the result Nichols and her squad had been hoping for two games into a new season against potentially tougher competition. But she hopes her team learned a valuable lesson: that they can keep up.
“I think a lot people in town are talking like, ‘Oh, D-II’s going to be tough; they could have made a run in D-III.’ ” said Nichols, whose team fell, 12-0, to Merrimack Valley in its season opener. “I guess the spot is not knowing the competition; we tend to know everybody in D-III and we know where they’re at. That’s the tough thing, not knowing what you’re up against.
“I’m proud of the fact that we (lost), 12-0, against a team the other day and we came right back, we rebounded as well as we did,” she added. “I think it’s about getting their confidence (up), knowing it’s OK and getting them to go out there and play hard.”
Stevens led, 1-0, after one inning and 2-1 after three. Jenna Pond, a senior, broke the scoreless tie in the first, touching home on a passed ball. Pembroke tied the game in the top of the third on an error that scored Kayla Paquin from third base. Stevens’ Brianna Frisbee gave the Cardinals the lead back in the bottom of the inning on an error.
Then the game turned into a pitching duel between Stevens starting pitcher Madison Lapsley and Pembroke’s Carignan, who finished the game giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. Lapsley, a senior, had two outs and a runner on first base in the top of the seventh inning before Olivia McCarty got on base with a single and Carignan hit the game-winning two-run double.
“Nothing went wrong, I don’t think,” Nichols said. “We played well in the field, didn’t make a lot mistakes. We took advantage when we could, we scored our run by being heads up. … I think they’re a little timid moving up a division; they think it’s going to be (more difficult). But I’m like, ‘I’d rather be a middle-of-the-pack team in D-II than be at the top in D-III.’ ”
Stevens’ Ellee Grenier led off the bottom of the seventh with a double into left field, but the Cardinals couldn’t bring her home. Pond had the best chance with a deep shot into right field looked to give Pembroke’s outfield trouble. But Spartan right fielder Shannon Trainor came up with the diving grab to give Pembroke (1-1) its first win of the year.
“I thought we played well,” Pond said. “It’s still the beginning of the season. We’ll get there. It’s just a tough spot right now, up a division.”
Lapsley was stellar in her second outing of the year, striking out eight while giving up one run on three hits and six walks in 6⅔ innings before Pembroke cued the comeback. She finished the game giving up five hits.
“I think Maddie improved a lot from the other day. She got some strikeouts, moved the ball around a little bit,” Nichols said. “She did a nice job last year, too. … I think she was even stronger today than she was on day one, which is good.”
Stevens had a strong season last spring, starting the year 9-0 before eventually falling to Berlin in the opening round of the D-III tournament.
Nichols is excited about her squad playing tougher competition on a more consistent basis, even if the move up to D-II was not exactly the team’s choice.
“Last year, a lot of our games were 15-run (-rule victories). We lost two games, and everything else we barely went five innings,” Nichols said. “You had to play down to what your competition (offered). I didn’t want that. I wanted to play these good teams and be more prepared for the playoffs.”
Pond, a multiyear starter for the Cardinals, likes the way her team is playing to start the year.
“We’re a little disappointed with the way (this game) ended,” she said. “We’ll get there.”
Stevens hosts Plymouth on Friday at 7 p.m.
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.