East Hampton Advances in Class S Tournament

Maybe after two emotional losses East Hampton was still a little drained, perhaps its confidence had been shaken or it might have simply been they had some jitters in the first round of the Class S tournament. After all, one loss and your season is over.

However, the season is not over for the Bellringers.

East Hampton scratched out single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to rally for a 2-1 victory over visiting Oxford on Tuesday in the a first-round Class S softball tournament game.

“It was jitters,” East Hampton coach Matt Warner said. “The way we started playing this game was jitters. The past two games, we lost a tough one to Hale-Ray and lost an even harder one against [Haddam-Killingworth] to get knocked out of the Shoreline. So they had to somehow find a way to dig back and it showed they had those losses in the back of their head.”

Warner thinks having cleared their heads and a first-round hurdle against a game and underrated Oxford team will get his team right for a strong run.

“I think with this we’re going to take a head of steam into the next game and I think they are going to be even stronger,” he said. “Oxford’s tough. They have some serious bats. Good pitching.”

The Bellringers had some early opportunities to get on the scoreboard, but twice ran themselves into outs.

With a runner on third, Emily Clausi walked and took a wide turn at first. The play was designed for the runner on third to break for home, but she hesitated.

“The play with Emily was designed to try to cause a delayed distraction,” Warner said. “Unfortunately, the runner on third base didn’t take an aggressive enough lead. So, by the time she was prepared to run, the first baseman had the ball and just then tagged Emily.”

Later, with Brittany Fiederlein on third after hitting a triple, a pitch got by the catcher. Fiederlein broke a little late for home and was tagged out.

“With Brittany trying to score, I think it was just the angle,” Warner said. “I don’t think Brittany thought it got by [the catcher], that’s why she hesitated. Then when she saw it roll and hit the fence, it was too late and she got thrown out at home.”

While East Hampton struggled to score, so to did the Wolverines.

Clausi, after allowing 10 runs in an extra-inning loss to Haddam-Killingworth on Friday, was on her game.

“She worked out of a huge fifth-inning, one-out, bases-loaded jam,” Warner said. “I think she struck out one and the other girl grounded out. I don’t care about outfield plays, infield plays, that there showed the team we really have a chance.”

Clausi pitched a complete game, allowing one run, seven hits, striking out 11 and walking one. She struck out at least one batter in each inning.

Oxford (9-12) broke through first with a run in the third inning when Kelsey Svenson doubled to right-center field. Stephanie Karcher followed with a single to short left to put runners on first and third. Oxford then used some aggressive base running to cash in. Karcher took off from first and East Hampton catcher Ashley Chasse threw to second and Svenson broke from third to try and score. Shortstop Katty Robinson cut in front of the second base bag to try and make a play at the plate but the throw from Chasse was off the mark and Robinson’s off-balance catch prevented her from throwing home.

In the fourth, East Hampton (16-6) answered. With one out, Shannon Law walked and advanced to second on a passed ball. Madigan Flannery reached first on an infield single to put runners on first and third. With two out, Morgan Langenfeld blooped a single to score Law. Langenfeld was thrown out at second on the play but the run counted.

With two out in the fifth, East Hampton took a 2-1 lead. Chasse started the rally with a line single to right-center field. Clausi walked and the runners advanced on a passed ball. Fiederlein then hit a hard infield single to bring in Sarah Dickerman, who had pinch ran for Chasse.

“This year has been a bunch of close losses, some great wins,” said Oxford coach Jennifer LaCapra, whose team won five of its final seven games to qualify for the state tournament. “Today I thought we played really well.”

Senior Paige Husar pitched a complete game for Oxford.

“Paige I thought pitched a tremendous game,” LaCapra said.

LaCarpa took the lost opportunity in stride.

“There’s always something as a coach you can think back and say maybe I if sent that girl or maybe if I did that,” she said. “I just think at the end, they ended up having their game today. I thought it was a pretty fair and even game, they just came out the winner.”

After a disheartening loss, what does LaCarpa tell her seniors who played their final game for Oxford?

“I tell them I love them,” she said. “I told them they’re a special group, that I’m going to miss being their coach, they had a tremendous four years with me and that I know they will do great things in the future.”

East Hampton will host Tourtellotte in a second-round game Wednesday at 4 p.m.