Big inning leads Bulldogs past Cavs

HOLLIS – It only took one inning for the Bedford High School softball team to remain undefeated.

The Bulldogs scored all six of their runs in the fifth inning and then held off a late rally by Hollis/Brookline to beat the Cavaliers 6-4 in a Class I game on Tuesday.

Casey Levis had an inside-the-park grand slam during Bedford’s big fifth inning and Rachel Morgan scattered 10 hits over seven innings, allowing four earned runs, to help keep the Bulldogs (9-0) perfect.

“We knew we were going to be competitive, (but) we really didn’t think that,” Bedford coach Derek Geddes said about being undefeated. “I think it’s taken the girls by surprise, the position they’ve put themselves in, because we are starting two freshmen and we’re starting a couple sophomores. We’re a young team. They’re having fun winning.”

The Bulldogs looked like they were going to have a hard time doing that against H/B’s Katie Dion, who went seven innings with five strikeouts, two walks and eight hits.

All six of the runs Dion allowed came in the fifth, when Bedford sent 10 batters to the plate.

“One inning, they put a couple of bunts together, they got the bases loaded and had one nice hit, and that was really the difference in the game,” H/B coach Nicole Adamson said. “We did a nice job defensively, they just had a couple of nice plays.”

Dion retired 12 of the first 15 batters she faced, allowing Ashley Abad’s two-out triple in the first inning, and letting two runners on with two outs in the third. But the H/B senior ended both threats and kept her team on top early.

“It was a tough game, especially seeing Dion early pretty much having control of us,” Geddes said. “We didn’t get any balls out of the infield for the most part (early). She’s a good pitcher. They really held us in check for a couple of innings.”

The Cavs (6-3) appeared poised to go ahead in the bottom of the first, when Kirstin Bergen sent a shot into left field. But as Bergen came into third, the ball went up the hill beyond the outfield for a ground-rule double.

One batter later, Meg Gervais singled and Bergen was thrown out at home.

H/B scratched a run across in the bottom of the second. Christine Connors and Kaitlyn Sliger led off with back-to-back singles. Bern Abt hit into a fielder’s choice, giving H/B runners at first and second with one out when Tiffany Williamson singled to load the bases.

Arielle Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Sliger, but Bergen grounded out to end the inning.

After that, Morgan kept the Cavs’ offense in check. At one point, she retired 11 of 12 H/B batters, with the lone hit a two-out triple by Charli Bradshaw in the third inning.

“We were doing a nice job hitting her,” Adamson said. “She did have two good innings where she put the ball up in the zone and we chased it. We know better. She pitched a solid game.”

Morgan was able to keep the Cavs from getting any more on the board thanks to her changeup, Geddes said.

“She really wasn’t using her changeup at all,” he said. “I think there was only one over the first two innings. We talked about that, incorporating that as well to keep their hitters off balance. I think it generated a few more outs.”

Bedford finally got on the board in the top of the fifth. Meg Delany led off with an infield single, and after an out, Morgan ripped a double into the right-center field gap.

Genevieve Spagnuolo followed with a bunt and appeared to be an easy out, but the home plate umpire said H/B first baseman Gervais missed the tag. All the runners were safe, including Delaney with the tying run.

Kelsey Kennedy followed with a bunt single to load the bases and Abad walked to bring Morgan in with the go-ahead run, making it 2-1.

After Heather Fyfe popped up for the second out, Levis hit a fly ball to right field that eluded a diving Maura Angel. The ball rolled for a while, and Levis slide safely into home to make it a 6-1 Bedford lead.

“The girls feed off each other,” Geddes said. “If someone else is doing it, they want to do it, too. Ashley Abad is stepping up now. Casey Levis had a big hit today. When someone can’t do it, someone else can.”

The Cavs got one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth on an inside-the-park home run by Connors, making it 6-2.

H/B made things interesting in its half of the seventh. Abt led off with a single, and after an out, Ramirez singled to put two runners on base.

Bergen drove in Abt with another single, pulling the Cavs within three runs. With Angel up, Bedford catcher Delaney tried to pick Bergen off first. When Delaney threw to the base, Rameriz raced to third.

A few pitches later, Bergen took off for second. This time Delaney caught her for the second out, but Rameriz scored on the throw, making it 6-4. But Angel struck out on the next pitch to end the game.

“We knew Bedford, coming in undefeated, they were a tough team,” Adamson said. “We were excited for the challenge. We’re upset we lost, but we know we played well. We get to see them again and I expect it to be another tight game.”