Entering the seventh inning trailing 6- 3, the Spartans loaded the bases with only one out. Two runners came from walks while the other got on base off a missed pop up by TA pitcher Louissa Colucci.
A Sanford run scored on a passed ball, but Colucci rebounded to get the next two batters out, including one by strikeout, to close the game.
Colucci was relieved to escape the seventh inning jam.
“I knew we needed two more outs and when I dropped that pop up I was going crazy because I knew it was an error and that could have been one of those outs. We stuck in there and I relied on my defense and we made the outs,” said Colucci.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the first off an RBI single from Maizie Lee, TA would have a four-run second that proved to be the difference in the game.
Libby Pomerleau and Hayden Campbell got back-to-back RBIs in the second, followed by a two-run home run by Kaylee Burns to push the lead to 5-0.
Sanford coach Mike Bailey was disappointed in the mistakes his team made in the inning.
“(TA) came out (in the second) and they competed hard. We made a few mistakes that we need to clean up but we’ll get there. In this league you can’t make those errors and give teams extra outs because it’s highly competitive and people capitalize on your mistakes,” said Bailey.
Sanford would get one run back in the following inning off an RBI triple by Nicole Main. TA would respond in the fourth, getting an RBI from Hannah Collins to extend the lead to 6-1.
Momentum began to shift if favor of Sanford in the sixth inning when Lauren Thompson and Abby Blouin had back-to-back sacrifice grounders to cut the TA lead in half heading into the seventh.
In an opening-day loss to Gorham, TA gave up a five-run lead in the seventh inning. Colucci believed her team learned from that experience.
“I just kept remembering that game and I didn’t want it to happen again, it was a good character-building day,” said Colucci.
Despite the loss, Bailey was proud of the way his team hung in there and made the game close in the end.
“It was a tough battle all day. I was proud of the way our team responded and how we got back out there and went after it. I was very proud of the way we didn’t quit, we didn’t give up and we kept on attacking,” said Bailey.
With the playoffs approaching, Bailey hopes his team will be error-free when facing tough competition.
“We have to learn from this one and capitalize on the mistakes we had. That’s the number one thing, going into the playoffs everyone is so good so you can’t give them the extra out because they’ll take advantage of it. That’s something you can’t have happen,” said Bailey.
Although TA knocked off the No. 1 team in the conference in Sanford, Colucci was not surprised and has confidence in her team.
“I believe in my team … we’re just as good as them,” said Colucci.
Colucci pitched seven innings for TA, allowing four runs on three hits, while striking out seven and walking eight. Jen Jones took the circle for Sanford, pitching six innings and allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out eight.
— Sports Staff Writer Alex Sponseller can be reached at [email protected] or at 282-1535 ext. 323.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less