HAMPDEN – Timely hits and smart baserunning provided the Brewer softball team with the offense it needed in Tuesday’s game against Hampden, while solid pitching and defense held the Broncos in a 9-2 victory at the Weatherbee School complex.

The game was a meeting of two Eastern Maine Class A rivals. Brewer goes to 4-1 while Hampden drops to 3-2.

“This is a good win for us,” Brewer pitcher Sherri Capponi said. “Before we got here we talked about what we had to do to win and we just came together and played together.”

Indeed, the Witches put forth a workmanlike team effort. Five different Brewer players combined for six hits. The Witches stole bases, recorded a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly and reached base on a hit-by-pitch. They legged out singles and took extra bases on throws.

Brewer had a 6-1 lead when it piled on three more runs in the sixth on just one hit. A wild pitch, a hit-by-pitch, an error and a single brought in Sandra DeFilipp, Jessica Whalen and Amy Freeman.

In the third, two walks, a stolen base, an RBI groundout and an RBI single helped plate three runs.

And the Witches left just three baserunners.

The Broncos stranded nine. They left the bases loaded in the fourth and runners on third in the fourth and seventh innings.

“We have a lot of sophomores out there,” Hampden coach Rodney Wells said. “We knew we were in for a tough game today … I thought we hit the ball very well. But we have some work to do and a ways to go.”

Brewer committed two errors but Hampden was only able to capitalize on one. And in the bottom of the seventh, when the Broncos had a runner on third, the Witches got three straight outs to end the game.

“Defense is our strength,” Brewer coach Kelly Cookson said. “We can play under pressure, we can play with people on base. We know we can get an out. Offensively we’re pretty solid on down through the lineup. If somebody gets on, we know how to move the runner.”

Carolyn McAvoy led the Brewer offense with a triple, a single and two RBIs.

Capponi used a mix of fastballs and curves (her screwball) to scatter nine hits. She was key in the seventh with the speedy Katie Lindemann at third base and no outs.

After a groundout, Capponi struck out Sara Lozito, then forced Jillian Yamartino to ground out and end it. There wasn’t much danger of a Hampden rally, but fanning the powerful Lozito brought a bit of relief.

“It went fastball, dropball, screwball,” Capponi said of the pitching sequence to the Hampden senior. “The screwball was a little high but she went for it, so I was fortunate.”

Capponi did not walk anyone.

“Sherri’s been pitching fantastic all year long,” Cookson said. “We know she’s going to keep us in every game. We just have to come up with the hits.”

Lindemann scored Hampden’s first run on a fielder’s choice, a Kristina Spaulding single that got her to second, an error and a passed ball.

Lindemann picked up an RBI when she tripled in the seventh to score Evon Hudspeth (three singles).

WITCHES 9, BRONCOS 2

Brewer (4-1) Hampden (3-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

San. DeFilipp, cf 3 2 1 1 Hudspeth, 2b 4 0

Sar. DeFilipp, 3b 1 2 0 0 Lindemann, ss 4 1

Capponi, p 3 1 1 1 Spaulding, c 4 0 0

a-Wolfe 0 1 0 0 Lozito, 1b 4 0 0

McAvoy, ss 3 0 2 2 Yamartino, 3b 3 0 0

K. Freeman, lf 4 0 1 1 Alyward, lf 3 0

Wing, c 3 1 0 0 Badger, lf 0 0 0

McLaughlin, rf 2 0 0 0 Billings, rf 3 0

Whalen, dh 2 1 1 0 Morris, cf 3 0 0

Coutts, 1b 0 0 0 0 Kiser, cf 0 0 0

A. Freeman 3 1 0 0 Littlefield, p 2 0 0

Ireland, p 1 0 0 0

Totals 24 9 6 5 Totals 31 2 9 1

a-ran for Capponi in the first

Brewer 213 003 0 ? 9

Hampden 001 000 1 ? 2

E?Sar. DeFilipp, McAvoy; Hudspeth, Spaulding, Yamartino; LOB?Brewer 3, Hampden 9; 3B?McAvoy; Lindemann; DP?Lindemann-Lozito-Spaulding; S?Capponi; SF?McAvoy; SB?Sa. DeFilipp

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

Capponi (W,4-1) 7 7 2 1 0 4

Hampden IP H R ER BB SO

Littlefield (L,0-1) 6 5 9 6 6 2

Ireland 1 1 0 0 0 0

HBP?Whalen by Littlefield; WP?Littlefield; PB?Wing; Spaulding; T?1:41; ATT?43