Granby Memorial Wins NCCC with Victory over Suffield

softball head coach Vicki Malone issued a challenge to her players before the season started: win the North Central Connecticut Conference regular season title outright.

The last two years, the Bears were league co-champions, a nice distinction to be sure, but not quite the same as being the lone title-holder.

“I challenged the kids every day,” Malone said.

Granby Memorial accomplished that goal with a crisp 1-0 victory over second-place Suffield on Monday afternoon in Granby.

“It’s good with a team like Suffield and a team like Ellington that we know that we’re the best in the conference,” Malone said.

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Emily Martel delivered the big hit for the Bears (17-0), a walk-off, two-out triple in the bottom of the seventh that scored Jamie Kidd all the way from first base to account for the game’s only run.

“This team just refuses to lose,” Vicki Malone said. “It always seems like when their backs are against the wall, they find ways out of it. Emily Martel had a great day at the plate. She’s seeing the ball well and she came up huge.”

Pitcher Neve Stearns (7 IP, 0 ER, 4 hits, no walks, 8 Ks) was her usual stellar self, and the Bears’ defense was airtight, playing another error-free game.

“I think she’s getting more confidence,” Vicki Malone said. “Her stamina is awesome. She has a lot to prove.”

Third baseman Sara Boardman was outstanding, as Suffield consistently tested her by laying bunts down the line. Boardman was challenged six times on the day (five ground balls and one pop up), and she calmly delivered on every play.

“[The defense] is locking it up,” Malone said. “We practice it so much that I expect it.”

Monday’s victory was the Bears’ 17th straight against no losses and was the sixth shutout of the year.

As good as the Bears were with their pitching and defense, Suffield (13-3) was nearly their equal.

Indeed, pitcher Meg Maliga scattered eight hits over 6 ⅔ innings and had four strikeouts.

“Maliga is a dynamic pitcher,” Vicki Malone said. “She’s a senior, she’s a leader. I can’t speak any more highly of her. She had us shut down for a while. We couldn’t seem to get anything going. My hats off to them.”

Suffield’s defense played nearly flawlessly as well, accounting for one throwing error from the outfield that did not result in any damage in the bottom of the fourth.

The Wildcats’ best scoring chance came in the top of the sixth, when Lexi Pallotti had a one-out double and, after a strikeout, advanced to third on Maliga’s infield single. Stearns pitched out of the jam by getting Jelly Banning to ground out back to her.

“We played a good game,” Suffield head coach Johanne Presser said. “We didn’t get some key hits at the time when we had baserunners. But I thought we played well. It could have gone either way.”

Kacey Gifford also had two hits for Suffield, which dropped its second consecutive close game to Granby Memorial this year.

“We just got the big hit today and they didn’t,” Malone said.