Saints hang on

South Kingstown nearly overcomes 8-run deficit

PAWTUCKET – After taking a mammoth, collective sigh of relief, St. Raphael Academy softball coach Ron LaBree and able assistant Joe Handy broke down their squad’s wild 10-8 Division II victory over South Kingstown on Monday afternoon with two words: Pure luck.

For five full frames, the Saints had the Rebels on the ropes; they held leads of 5-0 early on and, later, 10-2, but then watched as the visitors racked up six runs on seven hits in the top of the sixth and slice it to 10-8.

In his traditional post-game meeting with his kids in right field, “I said, ‘We tried to give it away and they wouldn’t take it,’” LaBree stated while shaking his head and putting assorted equipment in his truck. “I told the girls we got very lucky in this game. We needed some really big plays (to seal it).”

The biggest came in the top of the seventh. With SRA still guarding its two-run cushion, SK junior and leadoff hitter Sam Hutchins drilled a shot to left, but senior Kaylee Contreras hauled it in. Hutchins’ sister, sophomore Faith, then punched a ground hit to center, but classmate Eileen Byrne flew out to right.

Senior Sam Tyrrell came to the plate as the tying run and smoked a liner to the gap in right-center field. It appeared destined to elude senior right fielder Micayla Bourski’s outstretched glove by perhaps an inch, but she somehow snagged it and hauled it in for the third out – and the triumph. Call Bourski the heroine of the day at the Hank Soar Athletic Complex. She not only made five plays and three putouts in right, but also finished 2-for-2 with a double, triple, walk, four RBI and two runs scored. As for the tilt’s electric closing play, “It was a hard liner to right-center, and I thought our center fielder (senior Ashley Bullen) had lost in the glare of the sun. I saw the ball because I was running to my left from an angle. I just threw my glove in the air, thought I caught it and cradled it to my body. “I guess it’s one of the best catches I’ve ever made.” What it made it all the more impressive is that she snared it despite injuring her left wrist on a play in right the previous frame. “I went to go catch a ball down the line, but I fell on my left side and my (left) wrist got caught underneath me,” she said, still icing it. “I was in some pain, but not really a lot.” When asked about her outing at the plate, she smiled, “It’s my best hitting game all year, and – to be honest – I don’t know how I did it, but I’m glad I did. I felt like I was going to have a good day beforehand, and I don’t know why.” Offered LaBree after his club improved to 10-4 in league action: “She had a great day for us. Micayla hit the ball very well and played fantastic defense. She helped us win this game.” Other crucial offensive performances came from freshman Jillian Serra (3-for-3, run); sophomore Saylor Costa (1-for-4, two RBI, run); Bullen (1-for-2, double, stolen bag, walk, RBI, run); junior Taylor Moreau (1-for-4, run); and frosh Kacey Contreras (two runs). For the Rebels (7-6 league), junior Olivia Santucci went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, two RBI and a run; Tyrrell 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run; sophomore Faith Hutchins 2-for-5 with a theft, RBI and run; junior Sam Hutchins 1-for-5 with an RBI and two runs; classmate Jackie Haigh 1-for-1 with a stolen base, RBI and run; and fellow 11th-grader Julia Bollentin 1-for-3 with a double and RBI. Sam Hutchins took the loss, though yielded only eight hits, four earned runs and two walks while fanning a trio. She also threw one wild delivery and committed an illegal pitch (or balk). SRA plated five in the first, and it started with freshman Tori Jacques reaching on an infield error. Moreau’s single pushed her to third, and Serra walked to fill the bags. Costa then whacked an opposite-field, two-run hit to right, and – with two down – Bourski sliced an opposite-field two-bagger just inside the leftfield stripe to plate two more. She later hustled home on Bullen’s double to virtually the same spot. SK managed a run in the third when Sam Hutchins reached on Bullen’s drop in center, trotted to second when junior righty Sydney Charette walked Richardson and scored on Tyrrell’s hit to left. The Saints, however, rallied for four more in the back half. Costa beat out an infield miscue and moved to second on Kasey Contreras’ fielder’s choice before both raced in when Bourski crushed a triple past the left fielder Haylea Loftes. The Rebels still managed to flip the momentum in the sixth, sending a whopping 11 to the plate. Junior Kacie Curran and sophomore Emma Maciocio, both pinch hitters, both started the frame with singles, and Sam Hutchins plated Curran with one of her own. Then again, so did Faith Hutchins, who brought home Maciocio. Richardon’s ground hit juiced the bases, and the older Hutchins scored on Tyrrell’s infield hit. Santucci followed with a long double to the right-center hole, and she came in on Haigh’s single to left-center to make it 10-8. Haigh also robbed second, so the tying run was in the batter’s box still with just one out. Charette, however, earned the final two outs to escape. That just set up the dramatic top of the seventh. “It took some time for them to get to Sydney, but when they did, they really bashed it,” LaBree said. “We let them back in the game. We had a couple of chances to put them away, but we didn’t. We lost focus. “I haven’t seen balls hit that hard all year,” he added. “It seemed like every hit later in the game was a missile. We’re lucky to get out of here with a win; heck, we’ll take it.” South Kingstown 001 016 0 – 8 – 13 – 4 St. Raphael 504 010 x – 10 – 8 – 3 Samantha Hutchins and Olivia Santucci, Nine Byrne (6). Sydney Charette and Saylor Costa. 2B – Santucci 2, Julia Bollentin, Micayla Bourski, Ashley Bullen. 3B – Bourski.