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Methuen Rangers Softball '15

Wed, Jun 17, 2015 07:00 PM @ Silver Lake
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Final
Methuen 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Silver Lake 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

Methuen comeback falls short in state semis

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TAUNTON — If the MIAA would have it in their hearts to allow a “do-over” in the state tournament season, the Methuen High girls softball team would like to have another shot at the bottom of the first inning.

That’s when a few misplayed balls, including crazy bounces on two bloop hits, turned into two Silver Lake Regional runs.

Those two runs held up, barely, as Methuen’s dream season ended in the Div. 1 state semifinals here at Taunton High, 2-1.

“It happens,” said Methuen High senior pitcher Kayleigh Forgetta, who was arguably the game’s MVP after that first inning, allowing the potent Silver Lake offense only three more hits.

“We’re all nervous for these state tournament games,” said Forgetta, who was one of the area’s dominant pitchers for two years. “But once we settled down we made a run at them. I thought we were going to win it.”

Methuen got the leadoff runner on the first and second innings, with both going to second base on sacrifice bunts. But both (Amanda Conway, hit by pitch; and Nina Correia, single) were stranded.

The next three innings, Methuen got only one base runner.

“We had our chances, but couldn’t get that big hit in those early innings,” said Methuen coach Jason Smith. “Against a team and a pitcher (Madisyn Barone) that good, you’re not going to get a lot of opportunities.”

With Silver Lake in control and in the lead, Methuen stole the momentum back in the bottom of the fifth inning after Silver Lake’s sensational sophomore Emily Critch (two hits) ripped a double to fence followed by a Barone single, eventually making it runners on second and third with one out.

But Forgetta induced a short fly to left field and Correia made a nice play at shortstop to keep Silver Lake from blowing it open.

Leading off the top of the sixth, Amanda Conway blistered a shot down the left field line for a double. Kat LeFebre then reached first base on a fielder’s choice, with the third baseman worried about Conway and holding the ball.

Conway eventually scored on a wild pitch with LeFebre taking third base, now 45 feet away to tie the game and the red-hot Correia (five hits over the last three tourney games) up.

Correia was quickly down 0-and-2 before clawing her way to 3-and-2, fouling off four pitches with two strikes. But she eventually flied out to end the inning.

Methuen couldn’t get a base-runner in the seventh inning, going down 1-2-3 as Silver Lake celebrated.

“I am so impressed with Methuen,” said Silver Lake coach Tony Pina. “Our goal was to get on them early, get a few runs and pressure them. We were lucky to do that. To beat the teams they beat, in one of the toughest conferences (MVC) in the state, says something.”

Smith spoke to his girls for about 10 minutes after the game.

“We never quit, which is not surprising,” said Smith. “I really thought we were going to shoot one through the hole and tie it. But you have to give (Silver Lake) credit. That’s a really good team. Their pitcher was really good. It was a great game and we came up just a little short.

“But this team has nothing to hang its head about,” said Smith. “This is one of the best teams ever to play at Methuen, I believe, and you can’t take away the Div. 1 North title and the fact we made it this far. I had a ball.”

Game Statistics:

Division 1 State Semifinals

Methuen (1): Amanda Conway rf 2-1-1, Coralee Mathieu cf 2-0-0, Kat LeFebre c 3-0-0, Kelly Blackwell 3b 2-0-0, Nina Correai ss 3-0-1, Kayleigh Forgetta p 2-0-0, Maddie Adames 2b 2-0-0, Heather McLaughlin 3-0-0, Morgan Adames dh 3-0-0, Sam Ferraro 2b 0-0-0. Totals 24-1-2

Silver Lake (2): Totals 25-2-5

RBI:  SL - Barone, Johnson

WP: Madisyn Barone; LP: Kayleigh Forgetta

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