Hampden sweeps Wildcats Teams may meet again in playoffs

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HAMPDEN – Boy, did the Hampden softball team ever need the Class A doubleheader sweep it registered against Presque Isle Monday afternoon.

The Broncos, plagued by inconsistency this season, looked solid in almost every aspect of the two-game set at the Weatherbee Complex. Jillian Yamartino knocked in the winning run for a 9-8 victory in the opener, and was 4-for-4 in the nightcap en route to an 11-4 win.

“We didn’t even come here planning to win,” Yamartino said after the second game. “We just wanted to play and have fun.”

Both teams go to 6-10 to end the regular season. They may meet again Saturday in a Class A Northeastern division preliminary game.

In the first game, the Wildcats and the Broncos battled back and forth until Hampden rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning.

“It was pretty much an even game, back and forth,” Presque Isle’s Sarah Belden said. “We just let a couple of runs slip by us in the first game.”

The Wildcats led 8-6 heading into the inning, but the way both teams were scoring runs, anything was possible.

Danielle Billings led off the inning for Hampden with a single and after a flyout, got to third on a Cheryl Morris double. Katie Lindemann walked to load the bases and Kristina Spaulding walked in Billings to make it 8-7. After a fielder’s choice forced Morris out at third, it was Yamartino’s turn.

She hit an infield single, plating Lindemann, and beat out the tag at first, which allowed Spaulding to come around on the throw. The two runs made it 9-8.

“All season we’ve been having trouble getting people around the bases and we’ve been working on getting hits under pressure,” Yamartino said. “I just tried to get it down.”

Hampden’s Ashley Ireland earned her first save of the year, pitching the top of the seventh. She struck out the first two batters and after Jessie Miller reached on an error, got Belden to ground out and end the game. Belden had already doubled twice, so it was a key out.

“I figured [Hampden coach Rodney Wells] was gonna tell me to walk her because she was right on everything, but he wanted me to go right at her,” Ireland said.

Morris was 3-for-4 (double, two singles) and scored two runs. Spaulding had two RBIs.

After going ahead early and watching the Broncos take a lead, PI tied the game in the top of the second and again in the top of the fourth, and scored three runs in the top of the sixth, sparked by Ashley Putnam’s two-run double.

“It was frustrating and I got down on myself after they got all those runs,” said Hampden starter Kristen Littlefield, who struck out seven and walked five in six innings. “I just had to pick myself up.”

In the second game, Hampden relied on a small-ball attack with three runs on four infield hits in the first, and piled on the runs in the middle innings. The Broncs tallied 17 hits.

Yamartino racked up three singles, a double, three RBIs, and two runs. Repeat hitters Evon Hudspeth, Sara Lozito, Lindemann and Spaulding combined for nine singles.

“It was due time for us, I think,” Yamartino said.

A change in Presque Isle’s pitching may have accounted for Hampden’s offensive outburst. Miller, who pitched the first game, has more speed than Danielle Grenier, who started the second game. Once the Broncos settled into a rhythm, they didn’t have trouble against freshman Grenier.

Presque Isle scored two runs in the first inning on a Bailly Hovey two-run single and Belden hit an RBI single in the second, but pitchers Lindemann and Ireland held the Wildcats scoreless until the seventh, when Danielle Dyer scored on a Belden groundout.

The Wildcats also had a number of fine defensive plays, especially in the outfield.

“We’ve improved a lot this year,” said senior catcher Belden, who will play for Colby College next year. “I’m proud of how well my teammates play defense.”

BRONCOS 9, WILDCATS 8

(Monday’s First Game)

Presque Isle Hampden

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Belden, c 5 3 2 2 Morris, cf 4 2 0

Gahagan, lf 4 0 0 1 Lindemann, ss 2 1 1

Bishop, dh 4 1 1 2 Spaulding, c 0 2 2

Hamel, rf 0 0 0 0 Hudspeth, 2b 2 1 1

Wildeman, 3b 3 1 1 0 Yamartino, 3b 4 1 1

b-Jones 0 1 0 0 Lozito, 1b 4 0 1

Putnam, 1b 3 0 2 2 a-Ryder 0 0 0 0

Hovey, cf 3 0 0 0 Veinote, lf 3 0 0

Post, ss 3 1 0 1 Billings, rf 1 0 0

Pelletier, 2b 4 0 0 0 Badger, rf 1 0

Miller, p 3 1 1 0 Schrage, dh 1 0 0

Aylward, dh 2 0 0 0

Totals 32 8 7 8 Totals 24 9 8 6

a-ran for Lozito in the first; b-ran for Wildeman in the fifth

Presque Isle 120 113 0?8

Hampden 310 203 x?9

E?Putnam; Spaulding, Lozito LOB?Presque Isle 8, Hampden 6; 2B?Belden 2, Putnam; Morris S?Spaulding; SB?Belden 2

Presque Isle IP H R ER BB SO

Miller (L, 3-4) 6 8 9 6 6 2

Hampden IP H R ER BB SO

Littlefield (W, 1-1) 6 7 8 6 5 7

Ireland (S, 1) 1 0 0 0 0 2

HBP?Badger by Miller; WP?Littlefield 3; Miller; PB?Spaulding; T?1:50; ATT? 75 (est.)

BRONCOS 11, WILDCATS 4

(Monday’s Second Game)

Hampden (6-10) Presque Isle (6-10)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Morris, ss-cf 4 2 1 0 Belden, c 4 2

Lindemann, p-ss 5 1 2 0 McHatten, rf-ss 3 0

Spaulding, c 5 1 3 0 Bishop, dh 2 0 0

Hudspeth, 2b 2 3 2 1 Wildeman, 3b 0 0 0

Ireland, p 1 0 0 0 Putnam, 1b 3 1 0

Yamartino, 3b 4 2 4 3 Hovey, lf 3 2

a-Schrage 1 0 0 0 Jones, lf 0 0 0

Lozito, 1b 4 1 2 0 Post, ss-p 3 0 0

b-Littlefield 1 0 0 0 Dyer, 2b 2 0

Badger, lf 3 0 1 1 Pelletier, 3b-rf 3 0

Rider, lf 1 0 0 0 Miller, cf 3 0 0

Billings, cf 2 0 1 2

Aylward, 2b 2 0 1 1

Kiser, rf 2 0 0 0

Veinote, rf 1 1 0 0

Totals 38 11 17 8 Totals 26 4 7 4

a-grounded out for Yamartino in the seventh; b-reached on an error for Lozito in the seventh

Hampden 302 240 0?11

Presque Isle 210 000 1?4

E?Kiser; Post, Pelletier; LOB?Hampden 12, Presque Isle 4; 2B?Yamartino; DP?Post-Putnam; S?Jones; SB?Hovey

Hampden IP H R ER BB SO

Lindemann (W, 4-4) 4 5 3 2 1 1

Ireland 3 2 1 1 1 1

Presque Isle IP H R ER BB SO

Grenier (L, 3-5) 5 16 11 9 2 2

Post 2 1 0 0 1 0

HBP?Hudspeth by Grenier 2; Dyer by Ireland WP?Lindemann, Ireland; PB?Spaulding; T?1:57; ATT?100 (est.)