Westbrook softball holds off Bonny Eagle in opener

Westbrook’s Emma Boulette (33) celebrates after Emma Clukey (3) scored during the Blue Blazes’ 5-4 win over Bonny Eagle on Friday in Standish. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image

STANDISH — A season-opening statement win was slipping away, but with the margin for error gone, the Westbrook softball team made its escape.

Emma Clukey scored and drove in a pair of runs to lead a fast-starting offense, and Westbrook stranded the tying run in scoring position to earn a 5-4 victory over Bonny Eagle on Friday afternoon.

Faith Stoddard and Greta Krantz also drove in runs for the Blue Blazes, who took a 5-0 lead in the second inning and held a 5-2 advantage going into the seventh. They had to sweat it out, though, as the Scots scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh and threatened for more.

Still, for a Westbrook team that went 8-9 last year and is looking to take a step forward, holding off a team widely expected to be a Class A South contender was a confidence-inspiring start.

“That’s a great team,” said senior Emma Boulette, a defensive standout at shortstop. “But we came out with energy. We did what we were supposed to do; we put the ball in play. We knew coming in that if we were going to do that and play solid defense, we’d come out on top.”

Scoring summary

• Westbrook went up 2-0 in the first inning, as Emma Rice led off with a single and Clukey followed with a double to cente. Rice scored on an error, and Clukey came home on Stoddard’s single to center.

• Westbrook plated three more in the second. Josie Christensen walked and Rice and Clukey followed with singles, scoring Christensen. Krantz then hit a hard grounder to short that took a bad hop over Reese Bryant’s shoulder, allowing Rice and Clukey to score.

“That was a key part of our win, that we had bats so hot early,” Clukey said. “We (were) ready to go right at it.”

• Bonny Eagle got on the board in the fifth on Leah Storey’s two-run double to center. In the seventh, Madison Weeks and Storey singled, and both eventually scored, on a Bryant single and a Nevaeh Hagerman sacrifice fly, respectively.

Bryant was on second when Westbrook’s Madison Ross (five strikeouts) fanned Lily Regan after a lengthy at-bat to end it.

Defensive standout

Boulette went 1 for 4, but the strong-armed shortstop made her presence felt in the field. She completed a 4-6-3 double play in the second inning, fielded a ball deep in the hole and made the throw to first for an out in the fifth, and turned a hard-hit ground ball into a force at third later that inning to limit a Scots rally.

“She’s just the heart and soul of the team,” coach Brian Ross said. “We’re going to miss her next year. I’m so glad we have her this year.”

R-e-g-a-n spells relief

Westbrook had the answers for Bonny Eagle starter Bella Hanson, but Regan came on in the third inning and gave her team a chance to rally. The sophomore pitched five shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out five.

“Lily was awesome,” coach Travis Demmons said. “I look at Lily and Bella as 1A, 1B. … She threw the ball as well as I’ve seen her throw the ball. She was hitting all her spots.”