FALMOUTH — Julia Treadwell made sure the Falmouth softball team ended its eight-year playoff victory drought Tuesday.
Treadwell, a junior, limited 10th-seeded Marshwood to one hit and slammed a two-run double to break open a close game as the seventh-ranked Yachtsmen rolled to a 4-0 victory in a Western Class A preliminary-round game.
In recording its first playoff win since 2007, Falmouth (10-7) advanced to play at second-seeded Thornton Academy (14-2) in a regional quarterfinal game Thursday.
“I’ve been on this team for three years now and we hadn’t won a playoff game,” Treadwell said. “It feels good.”
The Yachtsmen had lost in the prelims each of the previous four seasons, including an 8-3 setback to Marshwood last spring.
Treadwell carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
“I was trying to hit my spots,” she said. “The change-up worked well today. It was probably my best showing of the change-up so far this season. I tried to keep them off balance.”
Treadwell struck out nine but walked seven and had to pitch out of a couple of jams.
“I was trying to keep (the pitches) off the plate, and I kept them a little too (much) off the plate,” she said.
“I try not to let it faze me when I have runners on, especially in scoring position.”
Three of those walks came in the fourth inning when the Hawks (7-11) loaded the bases with two outs, but Treadwell ended the threat with a strikeout.
“When she gets in trouble, she grooves too many (pitches) down the middle, so we’re trying to get her to work those corners,” Coach Ray Fox said. “Sometimes it puts us in a little trouble, but she did a great job of battling out of it.”
For the first four innings, Marshwood pitcher Emily Robida kept pace with Treadwell, carrying a one-hitter into the fifth inning.
“She always gives us that opportunity (to win),” Coach Chris Leclerc said. “It just comes down to our bats and putting everything together at the right time.”
Robida issued two of her five walks in the fifth. Treadwell drove in Emily Beaulieu and Elizabeth Walker with a two-out double over the head of center fielder Jill Marcus.
“It felt good to break it open and get some runs on the scoreboard,” Treadwell said. “It’s a relief for a pitcher to have some runs.”
The Yachtsmen padded their lead in the sixth. With two outs, Beaulieu and Krysia Lesniak walked before Meaghan Rouhanna launched a double into the gap in right to knock them both in.
“We couldn’t put all those little things together at the right time and Falmouth did,” Leclerc said.
Marshwood second baseman Jenn Gray led off the sixth by lining a solid single to center. She moved to second when Robida tapped back to the pitcher. Treadwell then retired the next two batters on infield outs.
“My players didn’t let down,” Leclerc said. “They didn’t hang their heads. They kept battling.”
“Credit to Marshwood,” Fox said. “They were patient (at the plate) and made Julia work a little.”
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