BATH

Errors have been a major problem for this season’s Morse High School softball team, which entered Friday’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B contest against Waterville with one win, the same amount as the Purple Panthers.

That same old problem for the Shipbuilders appeared once again in a 7-1 loss, dropping Morse to 1-9 with a visit to Oceanside slated for today at 4 p.m.

Six miscues led to five unearned runs, more than enough for Waterville pitcher Jasmine Durant, who limited the Shipbuilders to just four hits and an unearned seventh inning run. Durant struck out four, walked one and hit a batter.

On the other side, Morse pitcher Jacelyn McNeill deserved a better fate than she received. McNeill did not walk a Waterville hitter and struck out five. But, errors at the wrong time did her and the Shipbuilders in.

“It’s almost a mindset and you can see it coming, knowing that the girls are thinking of the last one and not wanting the ball hit to them,” said Morse coach Will Laffely. “The last two games Jacelyn has gotten the ball down and is getting her change-up over. She is giving us a chance to win.”

Purple Panthers lead

Waterville jumped on top 1- 0 in the first inning. Lead-off hitter Morgan Pellerin was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on an infield single by Michaela DeVogt and scored on a groundball by Lindsey St. Claire.

Morse had a chance to tie the game in its first at-bat. Nichole Laggan walked, went to second on a Durant wild pitch and to third on a groundball. Moving on contact, Laggan took off for the plate when Megan Hixon hit a hot shot back to the mound. Durant calmly threw home to retire Laggan to keep her team in front.

“Nichole is the fastest player on the team, and by the time I said back, she was almost to the plate,” said Laffely. “My fault. I told her to go on contact.”

McNeill set Waterville (2-8) down in order in the second, but ran into trouble in the third. Ariel Roy reached on an infield single. A fielder’s choice and back-to-back singles by Kristi Yoos and DeVogt loaded the bases. McNeill retired St. Claire on an infield flyball, but Kaitlyn Spaulding’s grounder was misplayed for an error as two runs scored for a 3-0 Waterville lead.

The Purple Panthers added an unearned run in the fifth (RBI double by DeVogt) and two more unearned runs in the sixth for a 6-0 lead, and Waterville’s final run scored on Morse’s sixth error in the seventh.

The Shipbuilders scored their run in the seventh frame. Morgan Cram reached on an infield single and Waterville’s lone error allowed Cram to scamper home.

DeVogt was 4-for-4 to lead Waterville at the plate, while Yoos was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.

For Morse, Kate Dube launched a ground-rule double, while Laggan, Lucy Rawson and Cram each singled.

Laffely feels his team can finish strong if the fielding improves.

“The goal is to at least win four out of the last six games, and just finish strong,” said Laffely. “We just have to start playing good ball. We allowed six unearned runs to Medomak earlier in the week, a game we could have won. That is what’s holding us back.”

Waterville 7, Morse 1

At McMann Field Complex
Waterville — 102 012 1 — 7-9-1
Morse — 000 000 1 — 1-4-6
Jasmine Durant and Kaitlyn
Spaulding; Jacelyn McNeill and
Niesa Ryder.
Doubles — (W) Kristi Yoos,
Michaela DeVogt; (Mo) Kate Dube.
Repeat hitters — (W) Michaela
DeVogt 4, Kristi Yoos.
Records — Waterville 2-8, Morse
1-9.
Up next for Morse — Today at
Oceanside, 4 p.m.