Merrimack's Jess Shanahan struck out eight and walked none in Monday's loss to Winnacunnet. For more photos, click on the link to the Photo Album.
MERRIMACK – The Merrimack High School softball team may have played its way out of having Sundays off.
The Tomahawks had just two hits and managed to get just two of their final 17 batters on base in a 4-3 loss to Winnacunnet of Hampton on Monday in a Class L game.
After taking Sunday off, coach Jim Peltak thought his team looked a little out of sorts.
“We were kind of flat,” he said. “I think they came in thinking it was an easy win and no game at this level is an easy win. We’ve been playing well. It’s a young group of kids that need to figure out how to bring it every game.”
The ’Hawks (7-5) had been doing that, winning five of their previous six games before Monday. Merrimack had also been 6-0 in games decided by three runs or fewer, with most of those wins coming in extra innings.
“We’ve played well in those extra inning games,” Peltak said. “That’s usually what brings them together. You think we’ve got something to build off and some chemistry. Our last game was a nine-inning win, a walk-off (at home). The kids were really excited.
“I gave them yesterday off,” he added with a smile. “I’m not giving them Sundays off any more.”
Jess Shanahan pitched well for Merrimack, going seven innings and allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight. Shanahan also had one of the ’Hawks two hits; Bri Demers had the other, and also scored a run. Rachel Bohanan had two walks and scored two runs.
Winnacunnet got a complete-game from pitcher Kearney Dewing, who allowed two earned runs on two hits and five walks along with five strikeouts. All five of Dewing’s walks came in the first four innings before she settled down to retire 11 of the final 12 batters for the Warriors (7-5), who had won six in a row.
“Our pitcher struggled early with control, but she settled down and pitched well the last couple of innings,” Winnacunnet coach Dennis Bruce said. “She’s only a sophomore. She gets a little nervous out there.”
The Warriors got on the board in a hurry, as Tiffany Ruffin led off the game with a single and scored when Jocelyn Mattison crushed a one-out double to center field. Kiel Dipetro followed with a RBI single, and it was 2-0 before Shanahan could get out of the inning.
But the ’Hawks got the runs right back in their half of the first.
Merrimack's Rachel Bohanan slides into third under the tag of Winnacunnet's Jocelyn Mattison.
Bohanan drew a two-out walk and Demers followed with an infield single. Steph Roy and Kalyn Trotter followed with walks, scoring Bohanan. Shanahan then reached on an infield single, bringing home Demers to tie the game, but that was it, as Merrimack left the bases loaded.
After Shanahan got out of a two-on, two-out jam in the top of the third, the ’Hawks took the lead in the bottom half. Bohanan led off with a walk and stole second before moving to third on a fly out by Demers and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Roy to make it 3-2.
Dewing settled down after that, and Merrimack managed just two base runners for the rest of the game.
Winnacunnet struggled on offense as well, as Shanahan retired seven straight going into the top of the sixth.
Mattison led off with a single, and moved around on a groundout and a stolen base. Tori Gagnon singled to left field to score Mattison and tie the game, and after another groundout, Gagnon went home with the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Bohanan.
“She’s been coming through for us,” Bruce said of Gagnon. “We got timely hits.”
Merrimack got a runner on with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t get her past second base.
“No excuses,” Peltak said. “There’s a good nucleus of young kids on this team that are going to be real good. It’s a little bit of a growing pain, but that comes with building a good program.”
Merrimack is back on the field on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Manchester West.