Wells, defense propel Hampden past Bangor

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BANGOR – As Class A squads Old Town, Brewer and Bangor played close games and beat each other in overtime thrillers over the past weeks, the Hampden Academy softball team watched and wondered. The Broncos knew they had the hitting, and certainly an ace pitcher, and the defense was improving.

But when would the whole thing come together?

The Broncs got their answer Tuesday against the Rams. Thanks to some timely hits, a solid defensive effort and another strong pitching performance from Jamie Wells, Hampden topped Bangor 5-1.

“We had a lot to prove,” said Bronco senior Shannon Pitula, who had two RBI singles. “Some games we don’t come out ready to play, but today we came out ready. We were really gunning for this game. We really wanted it.”

Hampden goes to 6-2, while Bangor is now 7-2.

Wells and Bangor pitcher Jen Jimmo gave up eight hits apiece, but the Rams stranded eight baserunners.

Meanwhile, the Broncos moved runners thanks to the little things that the Rams are so good at: stolen bases, sacrifices, hard-hit ground balls and quick thinking on defensive mistakes.

“We didn’t follow up our hits. Hampden put a string of hits together, then we helped them out with a couple of errors on top of it,” said Bangor coach Lisa Richards. “When we’ve got runners in scoring position we’ve got to step up with the mentality of getting them in and we just didn’t do that today.”

Wells struck out seven (a number which surprised her considering Bangor’s offensive capability) and walked one. She kept the Rams off-balance thanks to a mix of pitches.

“We know Bangor can hit the ball, so I was really fired up every time I got a strikeout,” Wells said. “… I had a feeling they weren’t going to be ready for the drop ball today, so I just kept it low and inside.”

Sara Lozito got Hampden going in the second with a single, and pinch runner Lauren Gardiner scored on a Pitula single. In the third, Kristina Spaulding singled to plate Jessica Aylward and Wells scored on an error for a 3-0 lead. The Broncos added two more in the sixth.

Bangor scored its only run in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch hitter Kara Holland led off with a single, and after a strikeout and a flyout, Jimmo slammed a triple into right-center to score Courtney Smith, who had reentered the game as a runner for Holland. Wells induced a groundout to end the game.

The Rams had runners on first and second in the first inning when Wells struck out the final batter of the inning. With one out in the third she gave up consecutive singles to Rachael Dube and Megan Huckins, but fanned two in a row to close the inning.

It’s been a confidence-builder for Wells to pitch in front of an improved defense. The Broncos had been searching for a shortstop and seem to have found one in Emmy Russell; first baseman Lozito made several stretch plays for outs; neither second baseman Philbrook nor third baseman Pitula struggled to field balls Tuesday.

“We knew if we went out there and stayed tough in the field and played tough defense, because our bats were working, eventually we knew they were going to fall in,” Wells said. “It was just pitching the ball in there and letting my team field me out today.”

Broncos 5, Rams 1

Hampden (6-2) Bangor (7-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Philbrook, 2b 4 0 1 0 Tuck, 3b 4 0

Wells, p 4 1 1 0 Jimmo, p 4 0 1

Spaulding, c 4 0 2 1 Dube, c 4 0 2 0

Russell, ss 4 0 0 0 Huckins, 1b 3 0 0

Lozito, 1b 4 0 1 0 Soohey, dh 2 0 0

a-Gardiner 0 1 0 0 M. Chase, lf 0 0 0

Butler, rf 2 1 0 0 d-Boyorak 1 0 0

b-Morris 0 0 0 0 Warner, cf 3 0 0

Pitula, 3b 2 0 2 2 Johnson, 2b 3 0 0

c-Yamartino 0 1 0 0 Smith, rf 1 1 0

Lindemann, cf 2 0 0 0 e-Holland 1 0

Aylward, dh 3 1 1 1 Tower, ss 3 0 0

Billings, lf 0 0 0 0

Totals 29 5 8 4 Totals 29 1 8 1

a-ran for Lozito in the second; b-ran for Butler in the fourth; c-ran for Pitula in the sixth; d-grounded out for Soohey in the sixth

Hampden 012 002 0 ? 5

Bangor 000 000 1 ? 1

E?Russell; M. Chase, Tower, Jimmo; LOB?Hampden 5, Bangor 8; 3B?Jimmo; SB?Wells; S?Lindemann

Hampden IP H R ER BB SO

Wells (W, 6-2) 7 8 1 1 0 7

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Jimmo (L, 3-2) 7 8 5 3 1 1

HBP?Pitula by Jimmo; PB?Dube; T?1:28; ATT?175 (est.)