SCARBOROUGH—There’s indeed no place like home and if the powerhouse Scarborough softball team finds an extra reason to get up for a game, like it did Saturday afternoon when it played in front of its home fans for the first time, that usually spells doom for the opposition.
Bonny Eagle learned that the hard way at the Kippy Mitchell Sports Complex, as after Red Storm senior ace Lilly Volk escaped a jam in the top of the first inning, Scarborough’s bats came alive in the bottom half, as a booming two-run double from senior designated player Abbie Murrell highlighted a five-run, five-hit frame.
After the Red Storm added a run on an error in the second, the Scots got on the board in the fourth, as sophomore centerfielder Sydney Gillingham tripled and scored on a ground out, but Scarborough answered with two runs in its half of the inning, as junior centerfielder Laura Powell doubled home junior second baseman Chloe Griffin and Murrell doubled to score Powell.
The Red Storm added one more run in the fifth, on an RBI single from sophomore pinch-hitter Courtney Brochu and after Volk held Bonny Eagle to just two hits in five innings, Murrell slammed the door with two hitless frames as Scarborough went on to a 9-1 triumph.
Murrell paced a 12-hit attack with two hits and three RBI, Powell added three hits, scored three times and drove in a run as the Red Storm improved to 3-0 on the young season, dropping the Scots to 0-3 in the process.
“It’s nice to be home,” said longtime Scarborough coach Tom Griffin. “The girls try to do too much in front of the fans sometimes, but we showed our versatility. We had kids off the bench come in and produce. It’s a special group.”
Unfinished business
Scarborough has won 55 games over the past three seasons, but hasn’t been able to win the state title. This year’s squad has the championship as its main goal and it looks as if it will be tough to slow the Red Storm.
Scarborough opened with a 12-0, six inning, win at Sanford Monday. Wednesday’s scheduled home game versus Deering was rained out. Friday, the Red Storm rolled at Cheverus, 16-0, in five innings.
Bonny Eagle went 6-11 last season, losing to Noble in the Class A South preliminary round. The Scots started the 2017 season Monday with a 16-3, five-inning home loss to Massabesic. Friday, Bonny Eagle lost at home to Windham, 17-1, in five innings.
Last year, Scarborough rolled, 18-0, in five innings, in its regular season opener at Bonny Eagle.Saturday, under 78-degree skies, the Red Storm got their bats going early and often.
First, however, Volk, who will attend and play for the University of Maine next school year, got in and out of a jam in the top of the first.
Scots senior shortstop Nell Spencer led off by slapping the ball past Volk to freshman shortstop Bella Dickinson and beat it out for a single and took second when Dickinson’s throw got away. Spencer then stole third, but she would be stranded there, as Volk struck out sophomore centerfielder Sam Averill swinging, blew strike three past Gillingham and got sophomore first baseman Makala Greene to look at strike three.
The next time Volk took the mound, she had a five-run cushion.
Griffin got things started in the bottom of the first, ripping a triple to right-center. Powell then grounded a single off Bonny Eagle senior third baseman Blake Morin’s glove and Griffin scored to put the Red Storm ahead to stay. After Volk reached on an infield single with Powell taking third, Volk stole second and Murrell, who will play at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire next year, crushed a pitch over the head of junior leftfielder Morgan Doughty for a double and Powell and Volk scored easily to make it 3-0. Bonny Eagle junior pitcher Journey Barnes recorded her first out when got junior leftfielder Lindsey Kelley to fly out deep to center, but junior Felicia O’Reilly reached on an error, putting runners at the corners, and junior third baseman Emily Jefferds grounded out to short, but Murrell came home on the play with O’Reilly taking second. O’Reilly then stole third and scored on an infield single from senior catcher Hannah Ricker. Ricker stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch, but was stranded there when Dickinson was robbed by a nice stab by Morin at third.
Regardless, Scarborough was in command, up, 5-0.
Volk made quick work of the visitors in the second, sandwiching strikeouts of senior rightfielder Lauryn Fagan and Doughty around getting Morin to line out to first.
The Red Storm got a sixth run in the bottom half.
After Griffin flew out to right on a full count pitch, Powell singled to right. Volk was out on a grounder to second on a bang-bang play at first, with Powell moving up. Murrell then hit a deep fly ball to center. Gillingham ran it down, but she dropped the ball for an error and Powell scored easily with Murrell taking second. Kelley was then robbed by Doughty in left, who made a running catch of her line drive, keeping the score 6-0.
Volk got Barnes to ground out to second and junior catcher Sarah Champagne to ground back to the mound to start the third. After the pesky Spencer drew a walk on a full count pitch, Volk struck out Averill swinging.
Scarborough didn’t score in the bottom half, even though O’Reilly led off with a double to right-center. Jefferds flew out deep to left, Ricker was out on a grounder to short on a close play at first and Dickinson ended the frame with a fly ball to center.
Bonny Eagle broke through in its half of the fourth, as Gillingham led off by tripling to right-enter. Volk struck out Greene, but Fagan hit a grounder off the glove of O’Reilly at first and even though Griffin got to the ball and threw back to O’Reilly to register the rarely seen 3-4-3 out, Gillingham came home to make it 6-1. Volk struck out Morin to end the inning.
Griffin started the bottom of the frame by ripping the first pitch to left for a single. Griffin stole second, then scored on a double down the leftfield line by Powell. Volk grounded out to short, but Powell moved up to third and Powell scored when Murrell doubled to center.
“We faced a similar pitcher yesterday, but we made adjustments,” Murrell said. “A lot of us play pretty competitive travel (softball) and we face each other in practice. It’s hard to adjust in games sometimes against pitchers who throw more slowly.”
Kelley popped out to short and after O’Reilly was hit by a pitch, Jefferds lined to right to keep the score 8-1.
Volk returned to form in the top of the fifth, her final inning, getting Doughty and Barnes to chase strike three before Champagne watched the third strike.
The Red Storm added one more run in the bottom of the frame.
Ricker lined out to third and Dickinson flew out to right, but junior pinch-hitter Sam Carriero singled to center, Powell was hit by a pitch and Volk walked to load the bases for Brochu, who singled to left to score Carriero for a 9-1 lead. Junior Hunter Greenleaf flew out to right to end the inning.
Murrell replaced Volk to start the sixth and got Spencer to ground out to short before striking out Averill. Gillingham walked, but on a delayed steal, Ricker threw her out to end the threat.
Scarborough had a quiet bottom half of the sixth, as O’Reilly popped out to second, Jefferds bounced out to shortstop and Ricker grounded out to third.
Murrell made quick work of the Scots in the seventh to wrap it up, striking out both Greene and senior pinch-hitter Liz Gaddy before getting junior pinch-hitter Sadie Denico to fly out to right to end the game in 1 hour, 38 minutes.
“We were so happy to be at home,” Murrell said. “We were pumped up. We’re so close and we always trying to improve. We ask Coach, ‘Can we do something better? Is there another step I can take?’ We want it so badly, but we’re focusing on being a process-oriented team, one pitch at a time.”
“We had good production throughout the lineup,” said Tom Griffin. “We hit the ball hard, but didn’t always get the results we deserved. We hit the ball right at people. We ran the bases better today. It was a positive outing.”
Volk allowed just one earned run on two hits and a walk in her five innings. She struck out 11 batters and improved to 1-0.
Murrell didn’t allow a hit in her two innings. She did walk one batter and fanned three.
“I felt a little off the first inning, then got new cleats and the second inning was good,” Murrell said.
“We want to use all three pitchers,” Tom Griffin said, alluding to Murrell, Volk and Chloe Griffin. “We want to keep them all fresh. Hopefully that bodes well come playoffs.”
Offensively, Scarborough managed a dozen hits, paced by three from Powell and two apiece from Chloe Griffin and Murrell.
Powell scored three runs, while Griffin had two runs and Carriero, Murrell, O’Reilly and Volk touched home one.
Murrell had three runs batted in. Powell added two and Brochu, Jefferds and Ricker finished with one apiece. Murrell, O’Reilly and Powell all doubled and Griffin tripled. Griffin, O’Reilly, Ricker and Volk registered stolen bases.
The Red Storm stranded eight runners.
Bonny Eagle got a run from Gillingham, who tripled, and an RBI from Fagan.
Spencer had a steal.
The Scots stranded two runners.
Barnes fell to 0-1 after giving up nine runs (seven earned) on 12 hits and a walk in six innings. She hit two batters and didn’t register a strikeout.
Enjoy the ride
While Bonny Eagle seeks its first win Monday at home versus Gorham, Scarborough will host South Portland. Tuesday, the Red Storm welcome Portland in a playoff rematch. After going to Windham for a key test Friday, Scarborough is home for a makeup game versus Deering Saturday.
“We look forward to some tougher games,” Murrell said. “We have to keep doing the little things and make adjustments. Making adjustments is key.”
“We’ve played three teams that haven’t won a game, but we have some (Heal Points) ahead of us next week,” Tom Griffin said. “We’ll play one at a time and try to get better. We can still get better at little things. All the girls are contributing. We’re focusing on being successful as a team.”
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