Coventry Softball Falls to Toll Gate, 9-8,in Dramatic Comeback

The game’s most dominant player grounded into an out and a Coventry fastpitch softball league victory was in sight.

Toll Gate catcher Pattie Turner, who smashed a first-inning, 230-foot solo homer off a tree, followed with a double in the third and then smoothly slugged a two-run homer to dead center in the fifth, was finally retired by Coventry pitcher Sarah Koerner to start the seventh inning. All the Oakers had to do, now ahead, 8-6, was get two more outs and secure a win.

But the Titans (5-2) rallied with four singles, capped by a three-run, two-out hit by pinchhitter Shelby Porter to stun the Oakers, 9-8, for the second defeat.

The sudden-death win negated some excellent hitting by the Oakers (3-4), including a two-run blast in center by Nikki Bent in the top of the sixth to put the visitors ahead in the sixth .

When Toll Gate was held scoreless in the sixth with superb clutch pitching by Koerner and excellent fielding, optimism reigned.

Until the fateful seventh, the teams mostly exchanged runs after Coventry scored twice in the first on a single by the left-handed Kristin Gallagher, an RBI double by Bent and a sacrifice fly by Charlotte Bracken.

Coventry either led or was tied the rest of the way. The Oakers benefited from Titans’ poor fielding in the second and third innings with one unearned run each.

But the Titans stayed close mostly due to the powerful hitting display by Turner, who tied the game twice with homers, had three hits and three RBI, scored three runs and threw out a runner stealing.

Coventry did not score in the fourth and Toll Gate tied the score on an RBI single by Tori Porter.

Gallagher doubled to center in the fifth, scored on an infield error and then Meg Bell gave the Oakers breathing space with an RBI double.

With an effortless swing of the bat in the bottom of the inning, Turner tied the game again.

In the sixth, the Oakers seemed to create enough breathing space when Gallagher singled for her third hit before Bent came through with the homer just clearing the fence in center field (see video).

Oakers head coach Chris Daigneault said a different factor led to them giving up a late lead as they had the day before against North Kingstown. "They did put hits together, but it wasn’t as though they weren’t hitting. We just weren’t thinking or reacting,” he said of the fielding on the last hit, a base-loaded single up the middle that eventually saw three runners cross the plate. "Yesterday we left seven runners at second and third. It was a hitters’ game today.”

Coventry had a chance in the seventh inning but Titans reliever Jesse Broshnahan got out out of a jam after surrendering a walk and a single.

The stage was then set for a dramatic final at-bat by the Titans. The loss dropped Coventry to fourth in the five-team league, two games behind Toll Gate.

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