Sunapee
The top-seeded Lakers had to work a little longer than scheduled before defeating eighth-seeded Woodsville, 6-5, in nine innings to advance to Wednesday night’s semifinal clash with fifth-seeded Portsmouth Christian at Plymouth State University. Jessica Parsons’ hard single off the glove of lunging Engineers shortstop Dee Martin scored Katie Frederick from third base with the winning run.
“This might be the test that they needed,” Woodsville coach Dana Huntington said of the Lakers (18-0), who won their program’s first state title last spring. “Sometimes you have that feeling, that mystical, magical thing that allows you to win. That’s what it takes to finally get over the top, to win that game that pushes you to the brink and then you know you can do it.”
Controversy struck shortly before Parsons’ deciding hit when Frederick was initially ruled out at third base, then allowed to remain there after the call was overturned. With no outs and runners on first and second, Sunapee’s Faith Larpenter hit a come-backer to Woodsville pitcher Alyssa Prest and the Engineer fired over to teammate Kayleigh Lamarre at the hot corner.
Frederick didn’t slide and wore a disbelieving expression when the umpire loudly called her out while raising his arm and clenching his fist. Lakers coach Bonnie Cruz argued for a stretch and then the game’s three arbiters huddled while fans hooted and hollered. The officials broke apart and home-plate umpire John Fulton signaled that Frederick was safe.
“It’s difficult beyond belief,” said Huntington, who debated the reversal. “The explanation I was given was that he was thinking she was safe but (mistakenly) called her out anyway.”
Cruz said she had never seen a ruling reversed as it was Saturday. She said the third-base umpire told her Frederick was out after he made his call but he agreed to seek Fulton’s opinion.
“In a close game like that, people don’t want to get the win on something that wasn’t deserved or fair,” Cruz said. “I think other people say it differently, saw that she was safe.”
Sunapee led, 3-0, after five innings before the Engineers scored twice in the sixth. The Lakers tallied twice in the bottom of that frame for a 5-2 advantage, scoring once on the inning’s third wild pitch and another when Woodsville right fielder Tori Clough dropped a routine fly ball. Batter Meg Frederick sprinted out of the box and reached third base.
Woodsville (12-5) scored three times during the seventh. Martin doubled with one out, Gabby Taylor reached base on an infield error and Nikita Duling drew a walk to load the bases. Martin scored and her teammates advanced on a Prest groundout and both scored when Clough, the next batter, singled sharply to right field and the ball was overrun. Clough took second on the play. Lamarre grounded out to end the threat.
“I always say the softball gods have a way of repaying kids who work so long and so hard, and she really came through,” Huntington said of Clough. “Someone asked what would have happened if she hadn’t dropped that ball in the outfield, but if she hadn’t, she might not have gotten the base hit. It’s funny how that works.”
Sunapee stranded two runners during the seventh and went down in order during the eighth before Katie Frederick singled off Martin’s gloves to lead off the ninth. Lexi Hamilton followed with a grounder that a charging Martin reached but on which she could not make a play.
Despite that jam, and several others during the game, Huntington said he “never had the thought” to relieve Prest, who allowed seven hits, three of them in the ninth inning. The sophomore struck out four Lakers, three of them during the first two innings, and walked seven.
“She has that inner battle that you don’t see and she’s grown so much since the first game of the season,” the coach said.
Katie Frederick, all lanky arms and legs and wearing an intense expression, surrendered nine hits while striking out five Engineers and walking three. She also hit Clough. The 6-foot-2 junior’s long frame, combined with a windup that begins with her bent at the waist, makes finding the ball before it seemingly explodes on top of the plate a daunting challenge.
“She’s so tall that she releases the ball two or three feet closer to you than other pitchers,” Huntington said. “And those long levers of hers really make a difference.”
Woodsville’s only multi-hit performers were Prest, who had a single and a triple, and No. 9 hitter Kera Butson, who had a pair of singles. Sunapee received two singles from Katie Frederick and a single and a double each from Lexie Hamilton and Parsons.
Notes: Both teams wore green jerseys with white numbers, lending an instrasquad scrimmage look to the contest. The Lakers, however, wore white pants while the Engineers sported gray britches. … Sunapee was the Class A runner-up in 1975, the first season softball was sanctioned by the NHIAA. The Lakers didn’t reach a title game again until last year. … Woodsville, upset during the first round last season, won the 2010 Class S title and the 2013 Division IV crown.