Bodington hurls another shutout
CUMBERLAND — Cumberland senior All-State pitcher Jocelyn Bodington has been in enough jams in her superb career to not get flustered when a couple of calls don’t go her way.
Bodington walked the bases loaded with no outs in the second inning of Wednesday’s clash with rival Smithfield. Instead of getting frustrated over a couple of close pitches that were called balls, the senior buckled down and struck out the next three batters.
Bodington wound up striking out 11 batters in 6.2 innings of shut-out softball, while fellow senior Renae Lacroix went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs in a 6-0 Division I victory.
“Obviously I’ve put myself in situations where I get the bases loaded and we don’t have many outs. I’m sort of used to it by now,” Bodington said after her final regular-season game in the Tucker Field circle. “I knew I had my defense behind me, so we just get out of it. I think I’m pitching ok, but I know I can pitch even better.”
Cumberland (10-7 Division I) can virtually clinch a home playoff game in the single-elimination portion of the Division I playoffs with a victory over Bay View this afternoon in East Providence to finish the regular season.
The Clippers, who have now shut out their last two opponents, finally had an opportunity to practice earlier this week after playing five straight days last week. Coach Marty Crowley said that made a big difference in the team’s play, especially on defense. Cumberland committed just one error and the squad turned a double play in the fifth on an attempted sacrifice bunt.
“What we did was we had to good days of practice,” Crowley said. “Monday was our first day of practice in 11 days because we played every day last week and we had prom and weekends. The hard work in practice showed today because we were outstanding. Our defense bailed us out in the fifth when it was still a one-run game. Offensively, we had timely hits when we needed them.”
Cumberland scored the only run it would need in the first inning when Smithfield hurler Shea Costa walked Lacroix. After a sacrifice bunt by Hailey Ballou, Lacroix scored on a single by Gretchen Gilbert.
The Sentinels loaded the bases with no outs in the second on three straight walks when Crowley went to the circle to talk to his Bryant-bound ace.
“She’s really grown mentally,” Crowley said of Bodington. “I went out there and told her to control the controlables and attack the next three hitters. She’s a senior and one of the best pitchers in the state, so what am I going to say to her?”
Bodington worked out of the game and only one other Sentinel reached third base over the final five innings.
Bodington aided her own cause in the fifth inning when she hit a two-run triple to score Lacroix and Ballou. The senior scored later in the inning on a single by senior centerfielder Ally Pina.
Lacroix, who has grown into the leadoff rule, stretched the lead out to six in the sixth inning. After senior Dana Jackvony singled to left and Lizzie Pickering singled, the senior hit a two-run triple to left field to finish the scoring.
“The key for me this year has been jumping on the first pitch,” Lacroix said after coming up a homer short of the cycle. “I’m being more aggressive early. On that last hit, I was just up in the box trying to get a piece of whatever I could. We had runners on base, so I wanted to put the ball in play.”
Bodington set down the first two hitters of the seventh inning when Crowley removed his seven seniors. Freshman Olivia Badeau allowed a hit before she induced a pop up from Costa to end the game.
Even though he’s tried to avoid starting Bodington on back-to-back days, Crowley said his lefty ace will face the Bengals.
“Bods is going [today],” Crowley said. “We need to get every one we can.” Smithfield 000 000 0–031 Cumberland 100 032 x – 6 10 2
Shay Costa and Meghan LaFlamme; Jocelyn Bodington, Olivia Badeau (7) and Caitlyn Olivera. 2B – C, Lacroix; 3B – C, Bodington, Lacroix.