OLD TOWN – After Old Town’s Ashley Goodwin slapped an opposite-field triple to start the bottom of the fourth inning of a 1-1 game, Orono pitcher Sarah Pavento didn’t get rattled.

Instead, she retired the next three batters in order and the Riots’ offense did the rest, scoring a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to earn a 5-2 softball victory over the host Coyotes in the season-opener for both teams.

After Pavento got Jenna Winegardner swinging on a 3-2 pitch, Hilary Campbell lifted a medium-range fly ball to center field that Goodwin certainly could’ve scored on, but she left the bag too early, and by the time she got back to tag up, it was too late.

“She took off a step and a half too early,” Old Town coach Lester Cowan said.

Pavento, who stifled the Coyotes to the tune of four hits while walking no one and striking out eight, got Annie Cashon on a 2-2 changeup to end the inning.

“They missed a lot of changeups, that was really good,” said Pavento.

Orono took the lead for good in the top of the fifth. Alyssa Bates led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on Amanda York’s sacrifice bunt then scored on an infield error.

“That was big. The fifth inning we executed, stole bases, bunted, got a big hit, played the game the way it’s meant to be played,” said Orono coach Bill Cowan, the cousin of OT coach Lester Cowan.

The Riots obtained some insurance an inning later, as Erin White slapped a two-run single to center to give Orono a 4-1 cushion.

“We had key hits,” said Cowan. “This is a good way to start, I told the kids this is a good Class B team, so this tells us a little bit about who we are.”

The Red Riots struck first in the top of the third as Chelsea Paul singled home York, who led off with a walk, but Old Town answered on Micayla Hussey’s RBI groundout.

The Coyotes drew back to within 4-2 in the sixth on Goodwin’s RBI groundout but Jill Tuell singled in a run for the Riots in the top of the seventh.

The pinpoint pitching of Pavento – who had only one three-ball count – coupled with some untimely errors ultimately did the Coyotes in.

“We had just a couple bad fielding miscues, but we didn’t hang our heads and that’s what I like about this group,” said Lester Cowan, who was missing three starters, Sarah Wilcox, Amy Singer and Logan Cossar, who are attending school functions this week.

Amy Cossar, Logan’s sister, doubled and scored in the second while Hussey singled and scored in the sixth for the Coyotes.

Hannah Morin was solid in the circle, striking out nine while scattering five hits, four earned runs and walking three.

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

990-8193

RED RIOTS 5, COYOTES 2

Orono (1-0) Old Town (0-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Paul, c 4 1 1 1 Hussey, rf 3 1 1

Leture, dh 3 0 0 0 Morin, p 3 0 0

Tuell, cf 4 1 2 1 Goodwin, 3b 3 0 1

Pavento, p 4 1 1 0 Winegardner, lf 3 0 0

Mahan, pr 0 0 0 0 Campbell, cf 3 0 0

Torst, lf 2 0 0 0 Cashon, c 3 0 0

White, lf 1 0 1 2 Leland, ss 3 0 0

Thibeault, rf 3 0 0 0 Cossar, 1b 3 0

Bates, ss 2 1 0 0 Ouellette, rf 1 0 0

York, 1b 1 1 0 0 Buck, rf 1 0 0

Hanson, 1b 1 0 0 0

Keezer, 3b 3 0 0 0

Paul, 2b 0 0 0 0

Totals 28 5 5 4 Totals 26 2 4 2

Orono 001 012 1 – 5

Old Town 001 001 0 – 2

E-Paul; Cossar 2, Cashon, Campbell; LOB-Orono 5, Old Town 3; 2B-Campbell, Cossar; 3B-Goodwin; S-York; SB-Paul 2, Tuell, Mahan, Bates; Hussey

Orono IP H R ER BB SO

Pavento (W, 1-0) 7 4 2 2 0 8

Old Town IP H R ER BB SO

Morin (L, 0-1) 7 5 5 4 3 9

WP-Morin; PB-Paul 3; Cashon; T-1:44; ATT-75 (est.)