Rockwood’s three RBIs help Eagles defeat Lynx Cravens three-hitter also key for 4-0 Ellsworth

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ELLSWORTH – Four games into the season, the Ellsworth High softball team has a good idea where it stands. The undefeated Eagles have logged wins over young but promising squads, struggling teams and one of the best pitchers in the state.

Two days after beating Hermon’s Ashley Kelley, Ellsworth picked up its fourth victory of the season with a 6-1 win over senior-less Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln.

The Eagles move to 4-0, including Tuesday’s 3-0 win over the Hawks. Kelley fanned 14 and didn’t give up any walks in that game but Ellsworth still found a way to score.

“It gave us a lot of motivation,” said Ellsworth senior Tessa Rockwood, who had three RBIs on two singles in Thursday’s game. “Hermon’s a really good team and Ashley’s a great pitcher. To be able to beat her and get our confidence with our hitting, I think that really helped.”

The Eagles showed that confidence against the Lynx.

Ellsworth had a 2-0 lead and piled on four more runs in the fifth inning, including Rockwood’s two-run single and a Catie Cravens RBI single. Lauren Peer drove in a run on a groundout.

The Eagles drew three walks off MA pitcher Denielle Nicastro in the inning. Nicastro hadn’t walked any to that point and had retired Ellsworth’s first seven batters. She finished with five strikeouts.

“She’s a good pitcher, really accurate and fast and consistent,” Rockwood said. “I think maybe she got a little worn out.”

Maggie Harding recorded an RBI double in the third and Rockwood hit a run-scoring single in the fourth to give Ellsworth a 2-0 lead.

The fifth-inning surge helped the Eagles secure the victory as the Lynx showed a lot of potential to hit the ball hard.

One of those hits, a towering shot by Bree Hanscom, fell to the fence in center field with one out in the sixth. The lanky Hanscom turned it into an inside-the-park home run.

Cravens credited Hanscom, who also hit a first-inning single, with capitalizing on a fastball right down the middle.

“She made good contact,” said Cravens, who fanned three and walked one in the three-hitter. “I think everything was a little off today. I didn’t do particularly well. But the riseball [worked]. They liked the high ones and I think that’s what got to them.”

Michelle Paul had the third hit for MA in the third inning. The 0-2 Lynx had the bases loaded with two outs, but a groundout ended it. Cravens retired seven in a row from that point until Hanscom’s homer.

Ellsworth played sharp defense behind Cravens, snaring hard-hit line drives and catching fly balls that moved around in the gusty wind.

“One thing we didn’t do last year was hit well,” MA coach Dean Libbey said. “So we’re doing better on that part of our game. Now we have to hopefully put those hits where [the defense isn’t] and get some baserunners.”

EAGLES 6, LYNX 1

Mattanawcook (0-2) Ellsworth (4-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Bro.Hanscom, c 2 0 0 0 Miller, rf 4 0

Paul, 3b 3 0 1 0 Jellison, cf 3 1 0

Bre.Hanscom, ss 2 1 2 1 Seavey, ss 2 0

Burleigh, 1b 3 0 0 0 Cravens, p 4 0 1

Pelkey, 2b 3 0 0 0 Blanchard, pr 0 1 0

Libbey, lf 3 0 0 0 Rockwood, c 3 0 3

Mushero, dh 2 0 0 0 Mullins, pr 0 0 0

DeRaps, pr 0 0 0 0 Richter, 3b 2 0 0

French, cf 3 0 0 0 Peer, 2b 3 0 1

Nesin, rf 2 0 0 0 Lane, dh 2 0 0

Fortin, ph 1 0 0 0 Wyman, lf 0 1 0

Homich, lf 0 0 0 0

Harding, 1b 3 0 1 1

Totals 24 1 3 1 Totals 26 6 6 6

Mattanawcook 000 001 0 – 1

Ellsworth 001 140 x – 6

E-Paul, Bre. Hanscom; LOB-Mattanawcook 5, Ellsworth 7; 2B-Hardy; HR-Bre. Hanscom (1); SB-Seavey, Miller, Peer

Mattanawcook IP H R ER BB SO

Nicastro (L, 0-2) 6 6 6 6 4 5

Ellsworth IP H R ER BB SO

Cravens (W, 3-0) 7 3 1 1 1 3

HBP-Lane (by Nicastro); Bro. Hanscom, Mushero (by Cravens); WP-Nicastro; PB-Bro. Hanscom; Rockwood 2; T-1:32; ATT-100 (est.)