ORANGE — Stephanie Scoville had one of her best performances of the season for the Pioneer Valley Regional softball team in a 3-1 win over Mahar Regional on Thursday.
Scoville had 15 strikeouts and gave up three hits in the complete game victory. The Senators had a lot of trouble with Scoville’s changeup in the Franklin County League matchup.
“My changeups were fantastic today,” Scoville said. “At the beginning of the season, it was really rough. It’s way different now.”
Scoville made one mistake during her start, giving Mahar’s Skylar Dodge something to hit in the first inning.
Dodge took Scoville to deep right to give Mahar an early 1-0 lead.
“I already knew she was a really good hitter,” Scoville said. “I just had to brush it off and know I can get the other batters without any problems.”
It was Dodge’s 11th homer of the season. On Dodge’s next two at-bats, she walked on four pitches and popped up finishing 1-for-2.
Hailie Meeker got a start for the Senators (7-12, 1-11 FCL) and had some control issues but did well in escaping major damage to keep Mahar in the game.
Meeker had five strikeouts, giving up seven walks and five hits.
Meeker in the circle put usual starter Megan Rich at shortstop for defensive purposes. The move is something the Senators might bring into next season.
“If we bring that effort and attitude all the time the sky is the limit,” Mahar coach Jerry Duguay said. “We set the table. We just couldn’t get that one last hit.”
Rich played mistake-free at shortstop for the Senators, adding a single and three stolen bases.
Mahar honored seniors Jordyn Berry, Lani DiDiego and Sarah Graeff before the game.
Berry will head to Western New England to study biomedical engineering and might consider playing collegiate athletics down the line.
“My teammates,” Berry said. “That’s why I keep coming back. Everyone is awesome. You see it today, the support is awesome.”
DiDiego and Graeff will continue to play softball in college. Graeff is signed on to play at Dean College and DiDiego will try out to play catcher at Fitchburg State.
“I enjoyed the team and being part of the team,” DiDiego said. “Working hard together.”
Graeff had a hit and walk for Mahar.
Pioneer (8-11, 3-9 FCL) got runs in the second, third and seventh inning to pull away from Mahar.
The final run came in the seventh when Scoville stole home. Along the third base line, coach Pioneer coach Tina Riddell gave Scoville some instructions.
“She told me to go halfway,” Scoville said. “Whatever they do, just go home. If they threw to third, go home. If they throw back to the pitcher, go home. We needed that.”
Scoville scored easily when the throw went back to Meeker and she took off toward home to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead.
Scoville had two hits in the game, with Anneka Johnson adding two more with an RBI.
“My team is playing really well,” Riddell said. “We didn’t bring this at the beginning of the season. They didn’t believe. They didn’t believe in themselves. If they believed in themselves, we would have given everybody a run for their money.”
The decision to send Scoville in the third was an easy one.
“We might as well go for it,” Riddell said. “I told her she had to get halfway.”
Scoville ended the game with three emphatic strikeouts.
Taking advantage of three walks in the third, Tayla Sadlowski dropped down a sacrifice bunt with runners at second and third to put the Panthers on the board.
Abby Briggs singled in the fourth before a RBI single from Johnson gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead.
Pioneer 3, Mahar 1
Pioneer ………………….. 001 100 1 — 3 5 0
Mahar ……………….. 100 000 0 — 1 3 0
Hits: (P) Briggs, Johnson 2, Scoville 2. (M) Dodge, Graeff, Rich
HR: (M) Dodge
RBI: (P) Johnson, Sadlowski. (M) Dodge
WP: Scoville (7ip, 15k 3bb)
LP: Meeker (7ip, 5k, 7bb)
