YARMOUTH – A year ago, this is a game the Yarmouth High softball team might have lost. Cape Elizabeth had runners on all game, a base hit away from scoring.
But these are not the Clippers of years past.
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With Laura Klepinger and McKenzie Gray making the key pitches, and the Clippers getting timely hits, they edged Cape Elizabeth 3-1 on a foggy, drizzly Wednesday.
“It seemed like we got out of jams the whole game,” said Jim Senecal, Yarmouth’s coach. “They would hit the ball at someone and we would get out of the inning. A lot of that has to do with confidence. A lot has to do with being where you’re supposed to be. We all seemed to be in the right place today.”
The victory lifted Yarmouth, ranked second in Western Class B, to a surprising 10-2. ?pe Elizabgeth, ranked fourth, dropped to 7-4.
A week ago, Yarmouth beat the Capers, 11-2. Senecal knew this one would be different.
And from the start it was. Gray, a left-hander who has pitched most of Yarmouth’s games this year, walked the first two batters and Senecal immediately brought in Klepinger.
“My arm felt a little tired when I was warming up,” said Gray. “I told (Senecal) that I probably wouldn’t be able to go very long.”
So Senecal had Klepinger warming up. “I didn’t know if I was going to get in,” said Klepinger. “When I first got out there I was just hoping to do well.”
Well, Klepinger got out of the first with two flyouts and a strikeout.
Yarmouth then got a run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Gray.
Cape stranded a runner in each of the next three innings, while the Clippers put two more runs up in the third. After a leadoff walk, the Clippers got consecutive singles by Abbie Hutchinson, Julie Dursema and Gray, the last two driving in runs.
Those were the last runs Cape freshman pitcher Anna Goldstein gave up. She was very effective for the Capers, striking out four.
Cape Elizabeth threatened in the sixth, getting runners on first and third with one out on a walk, then a single by Lexi Cantara — a line shot that ricocheted off Klepinger’s left leg, dropping her to the ground.
Gray came back in to pitch and got out of it with back-to-back strikeouts. Cape scored a run in the seventh but Gray ended the rally with a strikeout.
“We had chances, we just didn’t take advantage of them,” said Capers Coach Joe Henrikson. “But the kids are battling. They’re fighting every game.”
At the start of the year, no one could have predicted Yarmouth’s success.
“We just have a lot better attitude,” said Klepinger.
“Everyone wants to play, everyone is cheering from the bench. It’s just a lot more exciting this year.”
Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:
mlowe@pressherald.com
Twitter: MikeLowePPH
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