Alvirne's Taylor Carbone took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. For more photos, go to the Photo Album.
HUDSON – On most softball fields, Nicole Abreu would have had a walk-off grand slam.
Instead, the Alvirne High School sophomore had to settle for a sacrifice fly that plated one run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Unfortunately, the Broncos couldn’t get any others home and fell to Concord, 3-2, in a Class L game on Monday.
With Alvirne up 1-0, Taylor Carbone took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but the Crimson Tide were able to put three runs on the board on three hits and a walk. Carbone finished with 13 strikeouts while allowing three earned runs on three hits and five walks.
Carbone also drove in the Broncos’ first run of the game in the fifth inning with a two-out single.
“We probably have had six home runs this year that were triples or doubles,” Alvirne coach Denise Rioux said. “My cleanup hitter has probably hit three that would be home runs.”
Through the first six innings, it didn’t look like Alvirne (13-3) would need many runs at all. Carbone only got into any trouble in the second inning, when Concord’s Paige Hansen and Jasmine Morin each drew a walk, giving the Tide two runners on with one out.
But Carbone battled back to get the next two outs to end the inning. Concord (15-0) also had a runner on in the fifth and the sixth, but both times left her stranded at first.
“She does a great job out there,” Concord coach Duke Sawyer said. “She mixed up her pitches real well. She’s tough.”
Concord pitcher Kelsey Martel matched Carbone early, retiring the first six batters. Kaela Craven doubled to lead off the third inning and moved to third on a bunt by Katie Donovan, but was stranded there.
In the fourth, after Martel opened the inning by striking out Abreu and Carbone, the Broncos loaded the bases on an error, a walk and a single. But Martel regrouped and struck out Craven to end the inning.
Finally in the fifth, Alvirne got on the board.
Jess Underwood singled with one out, and Mikayla Powlowsky tried to bunt her over. Powlowsky’s bunt hit the glove of Rachel Robertson as it went down the third base line and both runners were safe. After a strikeout by Abreu, Carbone drove in Underwood to give Alvirne a 1-0 lead.
Katie Donovan takes a swing during Monday's game.
Carbone pitched around a walk in the sixth inning but ran into trouble to open the seventh. Mel Lehtinen opened the inning with Concord’s first hit and Morin followed with a walk. Carbone struck out Ashley Liotti, but Robertson bunted for an infield single to load the bases.
Katie Kennard followed by lining a single into left field, and the ball got by outfielder Chelsey Drew. All three runners scored and Kennard went safely into third base.
“I’ve got to admit, I didn’t know if we were going to come back against their pitcher,” Sawyer said. “My bottom of the order has come through all year long when they had to. Again, they just put the ball in play, which is what we preach.”
Carbone battled back to get the final two outs without any more damage and Alvirne trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
“I thought with their five, six and seven (hitters), we might be able to get it done,” Rioux said. “I like the way my kids responded. A lot of people would have been deflated after a top of the seventh like that. My kids came right back.”
Donovan led off the seventh with a single and Underwood reached on an error before Powlowsky bunted for another base hit, loading the bases with no one out.
Abreu crushed the first pitch she saw to center, but with an open outfield, Concord’s Makris had plenty of room – and speed – to track the fly ball down. Donovan was able to tag and score to make it 3-2, but Carbone struck out and Drew popped up to center to end the game.
“We got the breaks at the end,” Sawyer said. “That’s a great team over there. They’re going to make a lot of noise in the playoffs.”
