PARIS — Simply playing made Bella DeVivo’s senior game one to remember. She made it even more special by sparking Oxford Hills’ offense with a first-inning blast.
Playing in her third game of the season — and her first at home — DeVivo delivered a three-run home run to center field in her first at-bat Friday to help the Vikings earn a 14-4 five-inning victory over the Brewer Witches at Gouin Athletic Complex.
DeVivo was cleared by doctors last week to return from ACL reconstruction surgery on her left knee in November, which caused her to miss the entire Alpine ski season.
“Coming off a big injury, it’s good to be back on the field with my friends and my sister (Gigi),” DeVivo said. “It felt good to put it over the fence.”
DeVivo’s home run was a part of a six-run first inning for Oxford Hills (13-2), which also included two runs on passed balls and one on a fielder’s choice, that gave the Vikings a 6-1 lead.
Jordin Williams put the Witches up 1-0 in the top of the first when she stroked a pitch over the left-field fence for a home run.
“Offensively, we hit the ball well today,” Brewer coach Skip Estes said. “We have been struggling, so we made contact. We hit a little better, but our defense has to get better.”
The Vikings scored one run in the bottom of the second to stretch the lead to 7-1.
Brewer (3-12) started to chip away at the deficit in the top of the third. A Jaiden Williams walk with the bases-loaded scored Jordan Doak. Hope Cluff singled to right field, scoring Hannah Reed, but Jordin Williams was thrown out at home. Jaiden Williams scored later in the inning on a throwing error to cut the Vikings’ lead to 7-4.
Oxford Hills coach Cindy Goddard said that she wasn’t too concerned about the Witches getting to Vikings starter Maddy Miller in the third inning.
“We had some runs to give,” Goddard said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Maddy is really struggling and now we are behind.’ We had some pitch room to go with.”
Miller pitched all five innings, allowing the four runs on five hits while striking out five.
Defensive miscues plagued Brewer throughout the game. The Vikings scored three more runs in the bottom of the third, and two of those were Makenna Pomerleau and Brianna Benson scoring from third on passed balls.
“We have to get better defensively,” Estes said. “We probably gave them six runs off of simple plays. We need to get better for the playoffs.”
Trinity-Anne Bernard’s infield single scored Miah Gallan later in the third inning for a 10-4 Oxford Hills lead. Bernard drove in two more runs in the bottom of the fifth with another single.
“I was just staying calm in the box and not overthinking everything too much,” Bernard said.
Brewer left two runners on base in the top of the fourth, then stranded starting pitcher Morgan Downs in fifth after a leadoff double.
Bernard’s single in the bottom of the fifth made it 12-4. Then Downs collapsed in the circle after throwing a wild pitch to Kaydence Morse that allowed Bernard to score from third to make it 13-4. Downs suffered a lower-body injury and needed to be helped off the field.
Downs struck out three and walked five in 4 2/3 innings.
Laura Stewart took over in the circle to finish Morse’s at-bat. The Vikings’ clean-up hitter ended the game with a walk-off solo homer to center field the made the lead 14-4 and put the 10-run mercy rule into effect.
Goddard said Morse’s homer was the perfect ending to a game that began with Bella DeVivo’s dinger.
“The two highlights today was Bella’s home run —it’s been a long recovery and finally to be back, it’s a sweet way (to come back),” Goddard said. “Even their third baseman (Dani Fenlason) said that’s very nice to see. The way Kaydence ended it was also nice to see.”
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