Oxford Softball Loses 2-1 After Good Season

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.

East Hampton's Emily 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.

LaCapra 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.”