WATERBORO — Kennebunk couldn’t put away Massabesic early, and it cost the Rams. The Mustangs got out of bases loaded-jams in each of the first two innings and scored five two-out runs in the bottom of the second to win on senior night 7-4 in an SMAA softball game at Lions Field on Thursday.
The Rams wasted no time getting on the board, as Carinn Burns hit a two-run home run to right with one out in the top of the first. But that was all Kennebunk could muster in the inning, despite loading the bases with two walks and a single. Massabesic starter Dani Egan got out of the jam by striking out Meg Dube looking.
Renee Dugas led off the bottom of the inning with a bunt single and moved around the bases with a steel of second and a passed ball. Egan then drove her home with a hard single past third.
Kennebunk had another opportunity to pour it on in the second, but again squandered its chance. Egan walked a run in with no outs, but got three outs with the bases loaded to keep the Rams within striking distance. After giving up the run on her third walk of the inning ”“ and a bunt single by Meg Cadigan ”“ Egan got Allison King to line out to short, Gabby Harrison to ground into a fielder’s choice to third in which Cadigan was forced out at the plate, and then ended the inning by striking out Brittany Madore.
“It was too bad. We got out to a good start and got on top. We had two innings there were we had the bases loaded and couldn’t come up with the big hit, and it may have opened up a big inning,” said Kennebunk head coach Jim Lang.
Burns was not so lucky to get out of a jam pitching in the second. She hit Kaelyn Lucier with a pitch to lead off the inning, then threw wide of first to allow Tessa Bandle to reach on a bunt. Burns struck out the next two batters looking, but a third out proved difficult to get. Dugas and Amber Libby hit back-to-back singles, with Libby driving in Lucier on a bloop over the head of Brennan Cain at short that didn’t leave the infield. Liz Cable then dropped a Kassidy Hill pop-up over second that brought home the tying run. Egan hit her second single of the game to drive in two more runs, and Regan Adams brought home the fifth and final run of the inning with a single between third and short. Burns finally got out of the inning by getting Lucier to ground out back to her.
“That was huge. That changed the whole momentum,” Massabesic head coach Ray Magnant said of the swing of limiting Kennebunk’s damage and maximizing their own.
Egan pitched a perfect third inning before giving up a swinging bunt single by Cadigan to lead off the fourth. That was the end of Egan’s outing, and Sarah Guimond moved in from third to relieve her. Guimond gave up a two-out walk but ended the inning by striking out Harrison looking on a 3-2 pitch.
Burns gave up just one hit over her final four innings, but was let down by her defense again in the sixth as the Mustangs scored another run. Emilie Duggan reached on a fielding error by Cain with one out, and moved to second on a wild pitch. She then scored two batters later when Cable dropped a pop-up by Amber Libby.
“Just all plays that the kids can make in their sleep, and we didn’t make them unfortunately,” said Lang.
Guimond gave up just two hits and two walks over four innings, and gave up an RBI single to Kaitlyn Wilson in the fifth. She earned the save, and showed what the future will look like on the mound for the Mustangs.
“She’s been huge. She’s the pitcher for next year. It’s a good chance for her to get experience, and she’s handling it real well,” Magnant said of Guimond. “She’s coming in and pitching like a veteran right now.”
Massabesic had already locked up a spot in the playoffs, but now has momentum in its favor as the postseason begins.
“We’re finally playing real good. It seems like we turned around to be a new ball club. They’re starting to gel now,” said Magnant. “They’re playing like the team that we know they can be. And a lot of other teams know how good we are, and we’re starting to show it right now.”
— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 323. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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