In March Madness, the most common upsets are the No. 12 seeds beating the No. 5. Luckily for the fifth-seeded Spartans, it didn’t have to worry about No. 12 Nipmuc for too long.
Although the 10-2 final suggests Wednesday’s Round of 16 game at Breed Middle School was a blowout, it was a one-run game until the sixth inning.
Good teams start fast, and St. Mary’s found the scoreboard in the first inning. Brooke Moloney started the inning with a single. Then, a picture-perfect bunt from Michaela Walker moved Moloney from first to third before Gabriella Marichal brought Moloney home with an RBI single to left field.
St. Mary’s kept its one-run lead intact until the fourth inning, but then, boom.
The Warriors blasted a leadoff, solo home run in the fourth to tie the game, 1-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, with two outs, Ryleigh Williams of the Spartans got on base with a single. Guess who, Moloney, hit a deep shot to right center field, bringing home a run with an RBI triple (2-1).
One of St. Mary’s strengths this spring has been scoring runs with two outs, according to coach Colleen Newbury. Her Spartans had six batters register an RBI on Wednesday.
“We’ve been really good at scoring with two outs this year. I feel like one through nine, we’ve got a shot all the time. Even if we get a two-out hit, I know we can steal someone or make something happen,” Newbury said. “It’s really great to watch and you feel good as a coach knowing you don’t have to pinch hit or pinch run. The younger kids sitting here get to watch the confidence that the kids have and they’re starting to get it, too, which is good.”
Newbury also praised Moloney for her 3-for-3 performance at the plate.
“She makes the team go. She’s the leadoff hitter and the one running around in center field barking out orders,” Newbury said. “Ryleigh got the two-out single, then Brooke hit the bomb to give us the lead.”
To the sixth inning, we go.
Spartans’ ace Aliza Crean-Oviedo went up against the heart of the Nipmuc lineup, including the batter who hit a home run earlier in the game.
And despite loading the bases, she had the “poise” to escape, according to Newbury.
“We went to her change-up a little more today and her five-ball was working, which is always great when it’s on,” Newbury said. “She doesn’t say much, but nothing phases her.”
Although she has a great pitcher, Newbury mentioned the defense behind Crean-Oviedo, and how it helps her pitching.
“Ashanthy Pardilla is, kind of, our field leader,” Newbury said. “Our defense has been great and I know Aliza loves it.”
When the Spartans came to bat in the sixth inning, they made sure to crush any hopes of that aforementioned upset possibility. The hosts scored eight runs in the sixth to lead, 10-1.
“I know in the sixth inning, we had a few hard-hit balls and nothing to show for it, and then we had some cream puffs over the head of infielders,” Newbury said. “Our baserunning was tremendous – reading the play – which made a huge difference”
Newbury applauded her players’ mental strengths, too.
“Softball IQ. Our team made a lot of smart decisions today. We had to play to our strengths early in the game and just get through the pitcher a couple of times to see what they were like. That’s what’s fun about the playoffs – you never know who you’re getting,” she said. “We knew coming in that they were super athletic, and knew they could play.”
St. Mary’s travels to face No. 4 Norton this Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
