Small ball leads Indians by Middies

WORCESTER — Savannah Small admitted to being nervous before yesterday’s Division 2 state championship game. But when your offense stakes you to a four-run lead right out of the gate, things get a little easier.

With Small in the circle, Grafton beat Dracut, 10-1, for the school’s third state title and first since 2013.

“We played our best game of the year today and this is the best group of captains we have ever had,” Indians coach John Gemme said. “(Small) was a little nervous in the first inning, but she just kept on fighting and got stronger and stronger as the game went on and she usually does.”

Small fanned five on her way to a three-hit complete game and the only run allowed was unearned. The offense made it easier for her to settle in.

The first four batters for Grafton (20-5) reached base on a series of slash bunts and four infield errors committed by Dracut (16-5). Rebecca Haggerty’s single to center capped off the fourrun first.

“We just came out nervous. We haven’t done that all year and it showed in the first inning,” coach George Roy said of the Middies, who were in the state final for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 1997-98. “Once they started laying down the bunts, we didn’t know how to react. We threw the ball around a lot and you can’t win too many games doing that.”

Dracut scored its only run in the home half of the first inning when Michelle Cilley scored on an Indians error, then gave it right back in the second as another unearned run hurt pitcher Ryley White’s chances of keeping her team in the game.

Small settled in and at one point retired 15-of-17 batters, allowing only a oneout single in the third inning and another runner to reach on an error in the sixth.

The wheels came off the bus for Dracut in the seventh. Defensive wizard Sarah Remillard, Grafton’s second baseman, laced a two-run triple to effectively put the game out of reach.

Small finished things off with a 1-2-3 final inning.

“Pitching in the state finals you are going to be a little nervous, but I definitely got into a groove,” Small said. “I trust my defense so much and they played a really, really great game and we wouldn’t have won that game without them. (Remillard) has had a great season and she is amazing and our shortstop (Jess Hamilton) had a fantastic game, everyone played their best, and that’s all you can really ask for.”