HERMON, Maine — It seems the John Bapst softball team has been on the verge of an offensive breakout all season, but the Crusaders have been patiently waiting for that breakthrough to happen.
Coach Shannon Whiting’s team finally got it Thursday afternoon and, better yet, a sound pitching performance from a freshman making her first start.
Dayna Detour pitched four strong innings to notch her first varsity victory while her teammates pushed across five fourth-inning runs en route to a 7-3 upset win over Hermon in a Class B matchup.
The Crusaders, who have absorbed some tough losses this spring, earned their third win of the season (3-7) while picking up some valuable Heal points from the second-ranked Hawks, who slipped to 10-2.
“I would say this is a pretty big win for us. We were feeling pretty down on ourselves after losing a bunch last week and the week before,” said senior catcher Abby Perkins. “So, this is definitely a confidence booster.”
Each team scored a run in the third before Bapst went to work in the fourth.
The Crusaders loaded the bases with nobody out on three straight walks and, after senior Kacy Thibodeau-Harvey bounced into a fielders’ choice, twin sister Kylie delivered an RBI single to put Bapst up for good.
Perkins re-loaded the bases with a single of her own, then Tori Huckestein delivered the big blow with a sharp, two-run single to center.
“They needed to be confident with their bats. Their bats came alive; they ran the bases well,” Whiting said.
Perkins came in to score the final run on a passed ball.
That set the stage for Detour, who kept the Hawks off-balance with a blend of fastballs and changeups. She gave up just one run in four innings while striking out six and walking two.
“I thought she did an amazing job. I thought they had a hard time getting around on her,” said Perkins.
Sophomore Laura Jordan took over with two on and nobody out in the fourth, and induced a groundout and got two strikeouts to end that threat.
Hermon came back to score twice in the fifth, with Lily Barry driving in one of the runs with a single and scoring the other on a wild pitch. But Jordan was able to keep the damage to two, and she allowed just one baserunner the rest of the way.
Riley Boyle drove in the Crusaders’ final run with an RBI groundout in the seventh.
Bapst certainly was not intimidated by Hermon.
“We definitely just came in wanting to win with confidence and that’s what we needed to do,” said Kacy Thibodeau-Harvey.
Her sister added that the Crusaders’ push to slip into the playoffs may have started with this triumph.
“This game, it was a big game. We came through and we fired hard and did what we could and won,” Kylie Thibodeau-Harvey said.
Jordan, who compiled six strikeouts in relief of Detour, had an excellent day at the plate as well, going 3-for-3 with three singles and a sacrifice bunt while Kacy Thibodeau-Harvey scored two runs while reaching base twice.
Debbie Colpitts, who had 11 strikeouts in taking the loss, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly for Hermon while Marissa Kelley doubled and scored. Jaimie Beers, Lindsey Allen and Jess Devou all singled.
