EAST LONGMEADOW ― No lead is safe when two high-octane offenses collide because every at-bat is an opportunity to kickstart a rally.
“We always talk about (this concept), ‘it just takes one’ – one person to get it started,” East Longmeadow softball coach Jenna Webb said on Wednesday.
The Spartans demonstrated this with their seven-run rally in the sixth, fueling No. 8 East Longmeadow past No. 9 Longmeadow, 10-3.
The Spartans trailed early after the Lancers connected for six singles in the opening frame, with Livia Kelly and Carly Metzler picking up the RBIs.
Kelly kept the Spartans’ offense down in the first, but the hosts got on the board in the second after Mia Houser‘s sac fly. Eve Butler followed up with an RBI single to left field to level the score.
Both offenses were held silent in the third. McCauley then worked her way around a leadoff error in the fourth- which put the go-ahead run on second with no outs – without surrendering a run.
“I just went into the circle, and I just think, ‘I have to control what I can control,’” McCauley said after the game. “I can’t control the umpire, I can’t control really anything – I just have to play my game.
“When errors happen, or people are on base, I don’t let it affect me. I just forget about everything; it’s just me and the catcher.”
The Spartans scratched across a run in the fourth after three consecutive base hits set up a bases-loaded, one-out situation for Angelina Leone. The freshman flew out to center for a sac fly, giving the hosts a slim lead as Kelly closed the inning without further damage.
The Lancers continued to make good contact, recording an extra-base hit in the fifth and sixth innings, but McCauley successfully stranded the runner each time.
The bottom of the sixth began with a strikeout and a single from Houser, bringing up Butler for her fourth plate appearance.
Swinging on the first pitch, Butler drilled a line drive to deep left-center. As the ball zipped through the air, the junior bolted down the first base line and quickly rounded first. Turning past second base with no signs of slowing down, she glanced to the right and saw the fielder had not gotten the ball yet.
With Houser scoring ahead of her standing up and her coach on third wheeling her forward, Butler rounded third and sprinted towards home. She slid feet-first into the plate ahead of the throw, scoring a two-run, inside-the-park home run.
“We’re always told to mirror the person ahead of us,” Butler said. “When I saw Mia Houser putting the gas on to get home – I knew I could get home too.
“One person can really start a spark, and we all have the talent, we all have the drive, and it’s a matter of putting it together, so it’s really satisfying to feel that during the game.”
Butler‘s home run certainly did the trick, as the Spartans connected for six more hits in their next seven at-bats, with McCauley, Sophia Baughn, and Madison Ryan each recording RBI singles.
“It’s the positive energy – you see someone else do it and it uplifts you,” Baughn said. “‘Oh, I can do that too’. It’s almost like it’s literally contagious… it’s not about any technique or swing; it’s just the energy we feed off of each other, and that’s such a big part of our success.
“We have such a big family atmosphere, and we’re always there for each other and supporting each other, and that was definitely a big reason that got us going.”
But even with an eight-run cushion behind McCauley and five straight innings without a run allowed under her belt, the Lancers entered the seventh with the same mentality – all it takes is one hit.
The Lancers opened strong with a leadoff double from Lexi Winkler. After a walk and a single loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh, Kelly earned herself a walk and drove in the Lancers’ first run since the opening inning.
Taking a beat to compose herself, McCauley found her groove again, forcing back-to-back pop-outs before registering her seventh strikeout of the game to slam the door on the Lancers’ comeback attempt.
“This win was big for us, self-confidence-wise,” Webb said. “We’ve had a (couple of losses recently), so to come out here today and beat our crosstown rival always feels really good.”
East Longmeadow (9-3) will look to build on this win when the Spartans visit Monson on Friday, May 2 at 4:30 p.m.
Longmeadow (6-5) will look to bounce back when the Lancers host Easthampton on Friday, May 2 at 4 p.m.
“We just need to find a way to get on,” Longmeadow softball coach Amy Mantha said. “We were just doing too much, we’re having too many bells-and-whistles, and all you got to do get to the ball, make contact with the ball, extension, just get on, and especially having our pitcher’s back.
“(Kelly) did an exceptional job today; I don’t think our defense had her back like we should have. Lots of mental work going forward and lots of communication so that we could stay connected – we’re going to wash this game and start over tomorrow.”
