JAY — The coaches could see it in Brittany DiPompo’s eyes Thursday.
The Jay senior shortstop would look over toward the dugout with a look of disbelief.
“She knew it was not going to be a good day,” said Clint Brooks, the Jay softball assistant coach.
The third-ranked Tigers were struggling against the sixth-seeded Dirigo Cougars and were trailing by a run when stormy weather changed everything.
“Coming in as the third seed, we were looking at them as the sixth seed and were overlooking them,” said DiPompo. “We were looking more toward Saturday and it showed. They came out ready. Luckily, from Thursday, we realized that it wasn’t going to be that easy.”
DiPompo and her fellow seniors rallied the Tigers during the day Friday, and it showed when Jay hosted Dirigo a second time. This time Jay was energized and determined in a 16-4 Western C quarterfinal win.
“They knew it,” said Brooks. “When we walked away from the field Thursday, we all knew that Mother Nature gave us a break.”
Jay(14-2) took advantage of some early Dirigo mistakes and pounded out 18 hits in six innings to advance to Saturday’s semifinal at second-ranked Georges Valley (14-0). Dirigo was building confidence and could sense the upset Thursday, but the Tigers put that to rest quickly the next day.
“They definitely came to play,” said Jay coach Robin Roberts. “I’m very pleased with the way we hit the ball today.”
DiPompo scored four runs and had three hits. Alexi Deering had three hits and three RBI while Beth Moore drove in a run and had three hits. Alexis Blodgett drove in four runs with two hits while Paula Despres and Alannah White each added a pair of hits.
Despres scattered seven hits and allowed just two over the last four innings. Pitcher Alyssa Wade led the Cougars (8-8) with three hits and an RBI.
“I tried to go more up into the zone because they were hitting them lower and a lot harder,” said Despres, who struck out five and walked three. “I really tried to go up more than I did (Thursday).”
Wade had held Jay to just one hit, and the Cougars were up 2-1 in the middle of the fourth Thursday when the game was called because of weather. On Friday, the only thunder and lightning came from the Tiger bats, and they rained on the Cougars with six runs in the first two innings.
“Once we get some runs, we get pumped up and get cheering each other on,” said DiPompo. “When we don’t, it’s not the same people out there.”
Dirigo had threatened in the first when Natalie Bolduc and Wade each got on, but a liner by Tasha Deroche was caught by Emily Acritelli. Bolduc tagged up and was sent home, only to be thrown out at the plate for an inning-ending double play. In addition to some nice catches by Acritelli in left, Moore had a great catch in center.
“Paula didn’t start out real strong but she settled down,” said Roberts. “Emily in leftfield made a couple of nice plays.”
Instead, it was Jay striking first, and the Tigers scored four runs, taking advantage of two Dirigo errors. All of it came with two outs. After Deering reached on an error, Blodgett singled her home. Ashley Dorey, who finished with three RBI, doubled in Blodgett. A Moore single and an error allowed for two more runs to score and a 4-0 lead.
“That gave us the confidence to keep going in the other innings,” said Despres. “Once we got those good hits right off, we got that confidence early, and I think that helped.”
In the second, Dirigo got two runs back with infield hits by Bolduc and Wade, but Jay scored two more in the bottom of the inning. Deering singled in DiPompo and a Blodgett groundout scored White. A great diving catch by Deroche in left ended that threat.
Jay then broke it open with four more in the fourth. Deering singled in a run. Fielder’s choices by Dorey and Despres scored runs, and Moore doubled in a run for a 10-2 lead.
The Cougars cut the deficit to 10-4 in the fifth when Mariah Larsen singled to score Bolduc and Wade scored on an error. Jay got an infield hit by Deering and a two-run double by Despres in the bottom of the inning. Then DiPompo scored on a double steal and Blodgett singled in a pair in the sixth.
“We fed off when they made mistakes,” said DiPompo. “When they made those mistakes early, we all got rallied up.”
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