LYNN – Wyoma manager Chad Wilkins had been waiting for his team?s offense to come alive in the District 16 Little League Softball Tournament. On Monday, that wait proved to be worth it.
Wyoma jumped out to an early lead against defending champion Marblehead and never looked back en route to a 14-2, four-inning win that forces the two teams into a deciding game at 5:30 p.m.Tuesday in Marblehead.
?We really hadn?t hit to our potential in the entire tournament until (Monday),” Wilkins said. “We?ve been winning on pitching and defense. But it was awesome to see everything come together when we needed it.”
Marblehead, which had beaten Wyoma, 2-0, when the teams played in the opening round eight days ago, was looking to win the district pennant on the same field it had a year ago. But six errors proved to be far too much for Adam Sogoloff?s team to overcome.
?The girls were nervous and you could see it,” Sogoloff said. “A lot of our girls are first year major league players and they hadn?t been a big game like this. We made too many mistakes and Wyoma took advantage of that.”
The tone was set right off the bat as Wyoma?s Abby Fila tripled with one out in the top of the first. Catcher Katherine Clancy followed with a single that scored Fila for a 1-0 lead.
After Clancy stole second, Mackenzie Shea reached on an error to put runners at first and third. Clancy scampered home from third on a double steal to make it 2-0. An error on Julia Nickalou?s grounder brought Shea home before a pair of passed balls allowed Nickalou to score for a 4-0 lead through a half inning.
Fila, who had pitched every inning for Wyoma coming into the game, retired the first two Marblehead batters in the bottom of the first. But Olivia Cleary singled, stole second, and came around on Jolie Quintana?s single to make it 4-1 after one.
That proved to be the closest Marblehead would get as the roof caved in during the top of the second.
Sophie Lebert led off with a single for Wyoma that was followed by a RBI double from No. 9 batter Kristen Brazell to make it 5-1. A pair of groundouts allowed Brazell to come around for a 6-1 lead with two outs.
A walk to Clancy extended the inning and proved to be the dam-breaker. Shea followed with a base on balls. Nickalou was next up, driving a single that turned into two runs thanks to a throwing error.
Katie Donovan drove home Nickalou for a 9-1 lead. A walk to Katie O?Neill preceded a two-run double from Lebert in her second at bat of the inning. Brazell?s second plate appearance of the inning also was fruitful as she singled home Lebert to complete the eight-run barrage.
?Offensively, things just clicked,” Wilkins said. “Everyone was able to contribute.”
Marblehead got a run back in the bottom of the second as Madie Monahan led off with a triple and scored on a two-out single by Maeve Sogoloff. Wyoma got that run back in the third on Clancy?s RBI single that plated Fila, who had tripled to lead off, and then added another in the fourth on a hit and two errors.
Marblehead threatened to extend the game as Monahan and Samantha Price singled in the bottom of the fourth, but Fila retired Sogoloff on a grounder to second to end the game.?You have to give Wyoma credit, they hit the ball and made the plays,” Sogoloff said.