SOFTBALL

Noble 14

Westbrook 11

WESTBROOK – The Westbrook Blue Blazes softball team scored eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning against the visiting Noble Knights Saturday, but fell just short in their comeback attempt, losing 14-11.

Kayla Tibbetts went the distance for the Blue Blazes while Noble’s Amber Kelly also went seven innings for the win.

While the Westbrook Blue Blazes underwent changes in the offseason with the acquisition of new coach Dee Allen, one thing remains certain, and that is this team finds ways to score runs at will. Through their first two games of the 2012 season, the Blazes have scored 25 runs. Although their heavy hitting was able to push them past the Deering Rams in the first game of the season, Saturday’s output was unfortunately too little, too late.

Tibbetts, despite a strong performance in the Blue Blazes opening game, struggled early on Saturday, giving up a three-run homer to Noble’s Deven Goss before retiring the side. Tibbetts’ first inning struggles put the Blazes behind early 3-0 after one.

The Knights scored three more in the third and two more in the fourth while the Blazes got three of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning to momentarily breathe life into their team, thanks to RBI singles from Kerigan Demers and Katie Clark.

While Tibbetts appeared to settle down heading into the fifth, her defense struggled behind her as an error in left field on a line drive by Justina Shorey with the bases loaded allowed all three runners to score. Shorey would score after a grounder hit by Molly Pritchet was misplayed at third. When all was said and done, the Knights had put up six more runs to make it 14-3.

It appeared the Knights would close out the game thanks to the 10-run mercy rule, but the Blazes would not go quietly.

After being virtually shut down by Noble’s Kelly, the Blazes’ bats roared awake in the bottom of the fifth inning. Thanks to a bases-clearing triple by Clark and another RBI triple by Haley Berry, the Blazes scored eight runs to not only extend the game but momentarily put doubts in the minds of Noble’s players, coaches and supporters.

The 8-run bottom of the fifth seemed to calm the shaky Tibbetts for the remainder of the game as she maneuvered her way through the potent Knights’ lineup with ease. Unfortunately for the Blazes, the big fifth inning was their last-ditch effort to come back in the contest, as Kelly was able to settle in and pitch a scoreless sixth and seventh inning.

While the Blazes come back, hopes were dashed. Allen showed extreme pride in her players addressing them after the game. The coach urged her team to keep their heads up despite the less than stellar outcome. She reinforced to her squad that, if they are able to limit a few mental and physical mistakes, they will be a team that will score a lot of runs, win a lot of games and have a great season.

Westbrook’s Katie Clark lunges for a pitch from Noble’s Amber Kelly during the sixth inning of the Blazes’ 14-11 loss. Clark’s bases-loaded triple in the Blazes’ eight-run fifth inning was the catalyst for an almost improbable comeback.