In Tuesday’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B softball matchup with winless Belfast, a dropped flyball on a potential third out and a misplayed grounder in the late stages of the contest cost his team three runs in a 6-3 loss, dropping the Shipbuilders to 2-8.
“We’re just not making that final play we need to get ourselves out of an inning,” said Laffely.
This is a tough, arduous week for both the Morse softball and baseball teams. Rain caused a backup in games, with five slated this week alone. Consider AP testing in school is going on this week and the high school prom is Saturday night. It is certainly a busy time for the Shipbuilders.
Still, Morse and Laffely continue to press on, with the team hoping to make a run and get into the Western Maine Class B playoffs.
“We still have some games against oneloss and two-loss teams that we feel we can earn some big tournament points and possibly get in, maybe get that 12th spot and fool some people. We know we can play,” said Laffely, whose squad hosts Medomak Valley today at 4:15 p.m., Oceanside on Thursday and visits Winslow Friday.
There were certainly spots where Morse had a shot to put some distance on Belfast. The Shipbuilders left nine runners on base, including the bases loaded in the opening frame of a scoreless contest.
Belfast jumped on top 2-0 in the third inning without the benefit of a hit. Hannah Bailey walked and Brooke Stanley reached on an error. Two groundball outs plated the runners.
Morse had a chance in the third. Nichole Laggan singled and Brianna Bigelow followed with a hard liner to center field. Unfortunately, the ball was right at the Belfast outfielder, who made the catch and the second out.
“That line drive by Brianna Bigelow, if it was three feet to either side of the center fielder, it’s a double and a run, but instead it’s right at her,” said Laffely.
Belfast pitcher Killyan Richards wasn’t as fortunate in the fourth. Lucy Rawson walked, Megan Hixon singled and Jacelyn McNeill walked to load the bases. Rawson scampered home on a wild pitch to get Morse on the scoreboard, and Courtney Feeney’s hard grounder tied the game. Katie Henrikson followed with a bloop single, scoring pinch runner Kate Dube for a 3-2 Morse lead.
Belfast used small ball to threaten in the fifth. Brittany Mellor, Madison Cummings and Becca Leonard reached on three straight infield singles. McNeill retired clean-up hitter Makayla Cummings on an infield fly for the second out, but Richards’ line drive was dropped for an error, with Mellor and Madison Cummings scoring the tying and goahead runs, respectively.
“The other team makes snow-cone catches, and we hit well and get some runs, then all of the sudden we shoot ourselves in the foot,” said Laffely.
McNeill allowed her only earned run in the sixth when Leonard’s slow roller found a little bit of room on the left side of the infield, scoring Dakota Black, and Black’s two-out RBI single in the seventh made it a 6-3 game.
Morse, after back-to-back singles by McNeill and Feeney, failed to score in the sixth. In the seventh, Hannah Russell stepped into a Richards pitch. Her long drive grabbed the left-field fence, a mere six inches short of a solo home run.
“The first second I paused and thought it was going over,” said Russell. “There have been so many close calls for us this year, but I think as long as we keep on our mental game we can really stay with it. We have to get past the errors and try to not to lose it for a little bit, which always seems to cost us.”
Laggan was 3-for-4 at the plate to pace Morse, while McNeill struck out five, walked five and permitted nine hits.
Mellor, Madison Cummings and Leonard each had two hits for Belfast (1- 10). Richards allowed eight hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
Belfast 6, Morse 3
At McMann Field, Bath
Belfast — 002 021 1 — 6-9-1
Morse — 000 300 x — 3-8-2
Killyan Richards and Katrina Lapham; Jacelyn McNeill and Niesa Ryder.
Double — (Mo) Hannah Russell.
Repeat hitters — (B) Brittany Mellor, Madison Cummings, Becca Leonard; (Mo) Nichole Laggan 3.
Records — Morse 2-8, Belfast 1-10.
Next for the Shipbuilders — Today at home against Medomak Valley, 4:15 p.m.
sports@timesrecord.com
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