Softball Goes Down Swinging

The Weston softball team made a courageous postseason run, slipping into the state tourney on the last day of the regular season, winning a preliminary round game, and then battling No. 3 ShawsheenTech to the bitter end in the first round of the Division 3 North Sectionals. The No. 19 Wildcats put a stamp on their campaign with a recent 4-3 loss to the Rams.

"Overall, it was an exciting game," Weston head coach Kelly Harrington said. "Despite the second inning, [we] played a great game."

It was in that inning that the 'Cats made four consecutive errors that led to three Shawsheen runs.

Weston chipped away to tie the game at 3-3.  The Wildcats got on the board in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Ariana Vasquez ripped a double off the fence in centerfield, and Sarah Goldman delivered an RBI triple over the left fielder's head. Tanner Skenderian drove in Goldman with a single to make it 3-2.

But, Shawsheen was helped by a great defensive play by its left fielder, who made a sensational over-the-head catch to rob Sarah Ober of a hit.

In the sixth, Weston rallied again with two outs. This time, Vasquez led off with a walk. Goldman reached on a mishandled throw by the first baseman and  then Skenderian walked.  Emma Walsh, who was running for Vasquez, scored on a passed ball to tie the game, before Shawsheen got out of the inning.

But, it was a strong defensive effort by Weston in the bottom fourth that helped keep the Wildcats in the game. With a runner on second and one out, Shawsheen leadoff hitter Danielle Cacciola singled to centerfield. Centerfielder Sami Gosman hit the cut-offf, but the ensuing throw went wide, pulling catcher Talia Cramer off the plate. But Cramer was still able to catch the throw and toss to first baseman Katherine Anderson, who was covering home and tagged out the runner trying to score. Amazingly, the play went 8-1-2-3, though it wasn't that easy.

Gosman and right fielder Skenderian also made terrific running catches in the outfield to rob the Rams of extra base hits in other innnings, and Goldman caught a pair of well-struck line drives and had two assists at shortstop.

Harrington, meanwhile, praised Vasquez and Cramer for keeping the Shawsheen hitters off balance.

"[They] did a great job to keep the [Rams] batters guessing," she said.

Vasquez went the distance, allowing only one earned run, while striking out one.  She didn't walk a batter.  

The Rams took the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a pinch-hit single that scored the runner from second.

Weston had one last try and just missed in tying it.  Cramer led off with a single, and Gene Miller reached on an error. But the Rams got out of the jam with a strikeout, a fielder's choice and a popup.

Weston wishes its seniors, Co-captains Sarah Ober and Jessilee Gross, Julia Bruce, and Katherine Anderson the best of luck as they end their high school softball careers.