CUMBERLAND – Before most fans even made it to the field, Greely and Cape Elizabeth set the tone for their Western Class B softball quarterfinal Thursday at Twin Brook Recreation Area.
Greely pitcher Dani Cimino induced three routine groundouts on the first four pitches of the game. Then the Rangers stepped up and rapped out three straight singles, the third Cimino’s shot to center to bring in Katie Whittum for a 1-0 lead.
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By the time parents settled in along the baseline fences, second-seeded Greely had begun to patiently work its way past an aggressive No. 7 Cape Elizabeth for a 6-0 victory.
“We didn’t work the count very deep,” said Cape Elizabeth Coach Joe Henrikson.
“We had 10 hits last time we played (April 30, an 8-5 Greely win) and we had two today. We were a little too anxious at the plate. We had a great season but today we just didn’t get it done.”
Greely (15-2) will host No. 3 Leavitt (12-5) in a semifinal Saturday.
Cimino gave up two singles and three walks on 59 pitches. She also went 3 for 4 with two runs.
“We came in knowing they’re a very good hitting team,” she said. “We really needed to not make errors, I needed to hit my spots, and we needed to win every inning. That was our plan.”
Left-handed starter Anna Goldstein took the loss for Cape Elizabeth (14-4), giving up four runs on 10 hits through five innings.
Elyse Dinan led the Rangers at the plate, going 3 for 4, gathering three doubles and four RBI, including a two-run shot in the sixth.
“It was really nice to get some big hits,” Dinan said. “Getting a win like this puts us in a good state of mind for the next game.”
Greely pushed its lead to 3-0 in the third. Cimino opened with a single, Dinan drove a double to center and went to third on the throw home. Cimino beat it for a 2-0 lead. Dinan then came around on Jenna Brink’s single for a 3-0 lead. Cape ended the inning on center fielder Mary Perkin’s dramatic catch at the fence on Miranda Moore’s high, arching shot.
In the fourth, Dinan’s second double brought in Whittum for a 4-0 lead.
The Capers’ aggressiveness finally paid off in the sixth, when Shannon Nicholson and Elise Flathers reached on singles, leaving runners at first and third with one out.
Ashley Tinsman stepped up with a chance to cut the Rangers’ lead to one.
“I was a little nervous when Tinsman came up,” Cimino said, “but I really trusted (catcher) Edith (Aromando) to call the right pitches. She did and we got (Tinsman) to fly out.”
A groundout ended the inning.
“It was a team effort, 1 through 9,” said Greely Coach Sarah Jarmo. “When they got within striking distance (in the sixth), the defense still held strong. We stopped their rally and continued to push.
“As I told the girls, this is the kind of softball they can play, and hopefully we can take this and grow into the next game.”
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