AUBURN — Camden Hills entered Tuesday’s Class A North first-round playoff game desperate to keep its softball season going.
The 11th-seeded Windjammers’ offense came through, racking up 10 hits to upset sixth-seeded Edward Little 12-6 at Auburn Suburban.
“The fear of losing, the fear of going home, fear of not doing this again, because we have eight seniors on the team this year,” Camden Hills center fielder Ava Dube said. “Only one of them is going to play in college.”
The Windjammers (4-13) will now travel to Paris to face third-seeded Oxford Hills (13-3) in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Dube did her part Tuesday, recording three hits, including a two-run triple in the third inning that gave the Windjammers a 7-5 lead.
“That made me ecstatic; I don’t know about anyone else,” Dube said of her triple. “I was just going for contact.”
She scored later in the third to push the lead to 8-5, capping off a four-run inning that gave Camden Hills the lead for good.
Lilla Stone added to the Windjammers’ advantage in the top of the fourth with a single to left field that brought home Brenna Mackay to make it a 9-5 game.
Dube scored again in the top of the fifth, part of a three-run inning. Leadoff hitter Alyssa Bland and Mackay also scored as Camden’s lead grew to 12-5.
“We saw them earlier in the season, and we lost to them in extra innings,” Camden Hills coach Rowena Motylewki said. “We knew we had to take advantage of every single opportunity that was given to us.”
Edward Little, which ends its season with a 7-10 record, scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth. Izzy Jalbert reached on an error, then Amanda Raymond flew out to Dube in center field, but Dube’s throw to first base went out of play and allowed Jalbert to go from first to third base.
Jalbert scored on Maddy Scott’s groundout to cut the deficit to 12-6.
“This group never quit; they just kept on working,” Edward Little coach Elaine Derosby said. “All credit to our kids, putting themselves in a position where they can be successful at the end of each game. They did that again today.”
EARLY OFFENSE
The Windjammers seized the lead early, scoring three times in the first inning on pass balls to go up 3-0 before the Red Eddies had their first at-bats.
Camden Hills used bunts to get the runners in scoring position in the top of the first.
“We have learned we have to incorporate it when the opportunity presents itself,” Motylewki said. “Today, it was working really well, and we were able to execute it. When we have that opportunity, we will try to take it.”
Edward Little answered in the bottom of the first. Alexis Kelsea led off with single to center and then Tiana Avila walked. Each player scored in the inning off a fielder’s choice to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Dube scored from third, again on a passed ball, in the top of the second to give Camden Hills a 4-2 advantage.
“They took advantage of the miscues we made. And we took advantage of their miscues, too, just not as many times as they did,” Derosby said.
The Red Eddies cut the deficit to one run in the bottom of the second when Raymond scored after starting the frame with a single.
Edward Little scored twice more in the second inning to take a 5-4 lead.
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