Defense, pitching carry Novans to win
Forcier hurls complete game, drives in game-winning run
WOONSOCKET — The message from Woonsocket softball coach Dan Belisle to senior pitcher Lundyn Forcier going into the bottom of the sixth inning of Monday afternoon’s game against Toll Gate wasn’t about the two runs the Titans scored in the sixth, but rather what pitch to hit when her turn comes up in the next inning.
Forcier, who admitted after the game she loves to hit low pitches, flew out on a low Katelyn Hawes pitch in the fourth inning. Belisle told his senior clean-up hitter to find something up in the zone and drive it.
“No, I didn’t talk about the top of the inning, I just told her to look for a pitch up in the zone,” Belisle said. “She was suckered into swinging at a low pitch earlier in the game. With slower pitchers, you want pitches up in the zone. She threw her one up in the zone and she didn’t miss it.”
Forcier cracked a Hawes offering to left field for an RBI triple to score junior Holly Letourneau for what turned out to be the game-winning run. Forcier fired a complete-game five-hitter, while junior catcher Maddy Hereth had two hits, scored a run and threw out two would-be base stealers in a 4-2 Division I victory over the Titans at Cold Spring Park.
“It’s nice to win a game when you don’t hit and the other aspects of the game become more prominent and we execute,” Belisle said. “It was a real nice job by Lundyn to throw some strikes and the defense behind her played excellent. That is what you’re going to need when you face a strong team and you’re not going to score eight or runs in a win. Now they know they can win a low-scoring game.”
Woonsocket (5-5 Division I) averaged 14.5 run in its first four victories, but Monday the Novans relied on the fundamentals to move back to .500. In the field, senior left fielder Taylor Webster made a superb running catch to end the third inning and she also caught a sinking liner in the fourth with a runner on base.
Also in the fourth, Hereth threw out junior Mallorie Link at third base to stop a potential big inning. Hereth also threw out freshman Jill Walsh, who was the potential game-tying run, at second base for the first out of the sixth inning.
Offensively, the Novans struggled, but they manufactured two runs in the third when Hereth took two bases on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch. Junior third baseman Abbie Roderick scored on an error later in the inning.
“We’ve proven we can play with the top echelon on the division,” Belisle said. “We just need to beat one of those teams and we have an opportunity to do that Wednesday against La Salle.”
Toll Gate (1-6 Division I) received two hits and an RBI from Link, who drove a ball to right field to score Alexis LeBelle with the game-tying run in the sixth inning. Leadoff hitter Kendra Silva started the inning with a walk. She scored her team’s first run on Walsh’s single.
Forcier stranded the go-ahead run at second base and then proceeded to mow down the Titans in the seventh inning to earn the win. The senior bounced back from a difficult week by allowing just three walks, five hits and two runs.
Woonsocket grabbed the lead in the third inning when Hereth singled and advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch. Roderick, walked, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. She increased the lead to 2-0 on an error.
Forcier stranded runners in scoring position in the first, third and fifth innings before the Titans took advantage of two walks to tie the game in the sixth inning. Woonsocket answered in the bottom of the sixth when Letourneau reached on an infield error and scored on Forcier’s triple. Forcier scored on Hannah Moyen’s sacrifice bunt. Toll Gate 000 002 0–252 Woonsocket 002 002 x–451 Katelyn Hawes and ; Lundyn Forcier and Mallorie Link; Maddy Hereth. 3B – W, Lundyn Forcier.