Concord-Carlisle Ousts Woburn from Softball Tournament

The opportunity was too good to pass up for the underdog softball team against mighty Concord-Carlisle High School.

In the first inning of their MIAA North Division 1 First Round matchup, the No. 13 Tanners tried to seize the early momentum against the No. 4 Patriots. Woburn coach Courtney Sigsbury sent senior Meaghan Moore home from second base on Kim DuLong’s single.

But a rocket from the C-C left fielder just beat Moore to the plate, and she was tagged out by catcher Angela DeBruzzi to end the inning and the threat. Despite scoring a run in the third inning, the Tanners never really recovered from the play at the plate and fell to the Patriots, 6-1, to end their season.

“We’re a 13 (seed) heading into a 4 and we came in thinking we were going to take chances and we did,” Sigsbury said of the play. “That could’ve been a little different. We wanted to score first and put the pressure on them. That was our mindset going in and it just didn’t work for us.”

“I think if we hit and had a little more success early on it could’ve been different, but it just wasn’t our day,” she added.

C-C was in control for much of the game against the Tanners, but a victory was all but assured with its two runs in the sixth inning that would make up the five-run final.

Woburn sophomore pitcher Amanda Pappalardo lost the strike zone a bit to start the inning, placing Concord-Carlisle’s Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, junior Abby Bruins and freshman Alli Colleran, respectively, on base with back-to-back walks.

“We got some timely hits,” Patriots coach Lisa McGloin said after the victory. “We have a strong team hitting, and it’s hard when you got a whole bunch of kids hitting the ball pretty well to decide where who’s hitting where.”

It didn’t help things for Woburn that its defense got a bit sloppy as well.

With Colleran at the plate, a wild pitch advanced Bruins to second base. After Colleran worked her walk, both runners advanced on a passed ball that got by Woburn’s freshman catcher, Courtney Davis. Bruins would later score on a sacrifice fly by senior Monica Diercks and Colleran crossed the plate on another passed ball.

Knowing the talent of the Patriots and their playoff experience (C-C advanced to the D-1 state semis last year), Woburn coach Courtney Sigsbury said you can’t give such teams extra outs and opportunities.

“I think they’re one of those teams that this time of year you can’t give teams more than three outs and we clearly did that,” Sigsbury said. “(Concord-Carlisle) is a team where, you open the door, they’re clearly going to barge right through. We made uncharacteristic defensive mistakes, they took advantage and made us play.”

Woburn came out in the top of the seventh with two straight flyouts, an infield single by junior designated player Heather Bushmich and a strikeout by senior first baseman Jen Booker to end the game. Bushmich’s base hit was just Woburn’s second in the final three innings off C-C starting pitcher Galen Kerr.

The sophomore was on, surrendering just five total hits to go with nine strikeouts and no walks. The lone run Kerr gave up was unearned and scored in the third inning when C-C senior first baseman Shannon Laughlin couldn’t handle a throw from second on Woburn junior Jacqueline Reynolds’ grounder to second base.

Pappalardo, who reached with a bunt single, scored from second base on the play.

That wasn’t enough to get past the Patriots, who also scored two runs apiece in the second and third innings. But Sigsbury said the Tanners made strides this season, improving on a 10-10 mark from 2010, and they should only get stronger next year.

Woburn is only losing two players to graduation, Moore and Booker.

“We’re really going to miss Meg and Jen,” Sigsbury said. “They’ve both been with me for four years. They’re both four-year starters. I’m hoping next year with this team we’ll be a 15-5 or a 17-3."