Gray-New Gloucester shortstop Lydia Espling tags out Greely’s Kelsey Currier trying to steal second during the Rangers’ win in a Class B South semifinal in Gray on Saturday. (Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal)
GRAY — Mistakes are magnified during a pitchers’ duel, and even more so in the playoffs.
Greely was the beneficiary of “one little hiccup,” as Gray-New Gloucester coach Amanda Harmon called it, and used it to score the game’s only run in the Rangers’ 1-0 victory in a Class B South softball semifinal Saturday.
“It goes back to, at the beginning of the season I think I said it’s all about the hits and errors, and whoever makes them and comes back from them, and today it bit us,” Harmon said.
The sixth-seeded Rangers (12-7) had runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the third when Maddie Rawnsley lofted a high fly ball into shallow left-center. The ball landed, Sawyer Dusch came home from second and scored, and that was all the offense Greely needed for starting pitcher Kelsey Currier.
The Rangers’ senior ace allowed just two hits in the game, and four base runners total, while striking out five and not issuing a single walk.
“Just keeping them off balance, jamming them inside, and then bringing it outside and just getting them off the end of the bat,” Currier said.
Greely fared better offensively against second-seeded Patriots (12-5) pitcher Alie Martell. It started in the top of the first, when Martell issued two walks and gave up a double to Taylor LaFlamme. The Rangers couldn’t make anything of their base runners — Currier was caught stealing second after a one-out walk — but it gave them confidence against a pitcher Greely coach Rob Hale said had done well against his team in the past.
“I mean, obviously, we wanted to get runs through, but we knew that we could hit her, so as the game went on we would eventually get there,” Currier said.
Martell, who gave up just four hits, with four walks and four strikeouts, pitched a 1-2-3 second inning before the top of the Greely lineup got to her in the third. Dusch walked with one out and Currier followed with a single. Rawnsley stepped to the plate two batters later.
Like the Patriots, the Rangers had just one error, though it proved to be less costly — barely.
Alexa Thayer led off the the bottom of the fifth by reaching on an error, then stole second and moved to third on a Chelsea Davis sacrifice bunt with two outs. The Patriots then tried to tie the game with a Amelia Cobb squeeze bunt, but Currier’s throw to first was just in time for the third out.
“Trying to get that squeeze, she placed it just right, and one second, one step, it could have been a different game, a different outcome,” Harmon said.
The Rangers’ defense held the Patriots’ offense down in the sixth. Dusch made a ranging, leaping catch of Martell’s liner leading off, then Currier recovered after initially bobbling a grounder for the second out, and Audrey Boyle made a diving stop of another grounder for the third out.
“We didn’t play defense for five games, and we lost five in a row, and now we’re playing some defense and backing Kelsey up,” Hale said. “She throws ground balls. We weren’t fielding those in the middle of the season, and now we are.”
Currier did most of the work herself to get the final three outs in the seventh. Madi Pelletier grounded out to Currier on one pitch, and Lydia Espling popped out to the pitcher on the next. Currier then struck Thayer out to end the game.
“I mean, yes it was (a nail-biter), but with Kelsey on the mound nail-biters are a little not as nail-biting,” Hale said. “She performs well in jams.”
wkramlich@sunjournal.com
Greely’s Hannah Johnson tries to lay down a bunt while the Gray-New Gloucester dugout looks on during the Rangers’ win in a Class B South semifinal in Gray on Saturday. (Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal)Greely first baseman Audrey Boyle pinches a throw into her glove before Gray-New Gloucester’s Amelia Cobb can get to the bag during the Rangers’ win in a Class B South semifinal in Gray on Saturday. (Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal)Greely pitcher Kelsey Currier unleashes a delivery during a win over Gray-New Gloucester in a Class B South semifinal in Gray on Saturday. (Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal)Gray-New Gloucesterpitcher Alie Martell tracks her delivery during a loss to Greely in a Class B South semifinal in Gray on Saturday. (Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal)
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