DARTMOUTH — With her workforce trailing 1-0 within the backside of the sixth inning of the Division 3 softball semifinals, Norton senior Sandy Fairbairn knew she wanted to set the tone.
The Lancers’ leadoff hitter laced a single into left area and sparked a rally that noticed No. 4 Norton put eight runs on the board and defeat No. 9 Bishop Fenwick 8-1 to advance to the state championship.
“That’s what we needed in that moment and that’s what I’m going for,” Fairbairn stated. “I knew my teammates were behind me and ready to bring me home any way they can.”
The win units up a date within the Division 3 last towards No. 6 Middleboro, and Lancers’ coach Wade Lizotte stated city satisfaction and workforce chemistry helped them attain the milestone.
“It’s fantastic for the program,” Lizotte stated. “This tightness and how we pick each other up, that’s small-town Norton and they do it really well.”
While it took the Lancers six innings to attain a run, they virtually did it within the first. Fairbairn led off the underside of the primary with a triple however was known as out on the plate making an attempt to stretch it into an inside-the-park residence run.
“We do great when we score early,” Fairbairn stated. “I was trying to give us that lead to start off.”
Despite the recent begin, Crusaders’ pitcher Gigi Aupont settled in and restricted the Lancers to only one further hit till the sixth inning. On the opposite aspect, Norton pitcher Liana Danubio was matching the efficiency.
The solely blemish got here when a Megan Burkinshaw double became a Fenwick run after two consecutive bunts within the prime of the fifth. That was the extent of the scoring till the fateful sixth inning, the place after Fairbairn’s single and a subsequent stolen base, Danubio had an opportunity to assist herself.
She began the at-bat by making an attempt to bunt however smacked a single into the left-center hole as soon as given the inexperienced gentle, scoring Fairbairn and tying the sport.
“I just wanted to help my team out,” Danubio stated. “We needed some runs, so I just really wanted to get a hit.”
The single was adopted up by a triple from Sienna Pietrasiewicz, and the hit parade continued after that. The Lancers batted round, and Danubio added two extra RBI after smoking a triple in her second plate look of the inning.
“I’m just thinking eye to the ball,” Danubio stated. “Lots of adrenaline going on, I was just really happy to help my team and get the runs in.”
Danubio took that momentum into the highest of the seventh and completed the job on the mound to clinch the victory. Lizotte stated the comeback effort exhibits how gritty his workforce is.
“We seemed to pull the right triggers today,” Lizotte stated. “They saw the possibilities and the things that we could do with it.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com