ATHOL — When the Palmer High School varsity softball team scored the first runs of Thursday’s playoff game, that lead may have felt like it was going to end the Athol Red Raiders’ season. How foolish that notion seems now.
After Palmer kept the Red Raiders out of the hit department until the fifth inning, Athol had three timely hits in the sixth, the last one a double by Sadey Lehtomaki to deep center field to put her team up 3-2. Lehtomaki’s RBI double was the eventual winner for the Red Raiders after Haley Bigwood turned a double play on a line drive to shortstop, picking off the runner at first to end the game.
“I saw it and I just decided to hit it,” said Lehtomaki. “It was just a good pitch, so I decided to hit it.”
As if it were that easy.
The Red Raiders failed to get a runner on base until the fourth inning and didn’t have a hit until the fifth. Palmer pitcher Sierra Cavanaugh was dealing on the mound, striking out five and giving up one run until Bigwood turned on a ball and sent it into left for a two-out single in the sixth.
Destiny Wrigley then sent a ball down the third base line, which prompted Bigwood to turn third and try for home. Palmer left fielder Chelsea Bigos sent a strong throw into home, but a head-first slide by Bigwood tied the game at two.
On an 0-and-1 count, Lehtomaki doubled to score Wrigley from second as the winning run.
“Oh, (I am) really proud,” said Athol coach Sharon Chauvette about her team’s ability to overcome Palmer. “When we played our last week of softball, three of those games we had to come from behind to win. I know that we can do that, but it’s also like, I don’t want to do that, It’s too nerve-wracking, but I’m really proud of them.”
Palmer’s two runs were — or at least seemed — preventable, too. With two outs in the fifth inning, Athol’s Hannah Lajoie let up on a fairly catchable ball to right field, settling to play the short hop rather than try for the out.
On the next at-bat, Amanda Syrek sent a ball into left field, in which Athol’s left fielder sent a throw into second base hard and high, getting out of bounds behind first base to score the game’s first run. A single by Ashelyn Granger scored Syrek to put Palmer up 2-0.
“We’ve been working on, giving me 110 percent, not stopping on that ball,” said Chauvette in reference to Lajoie letting up on what could have been the third out. “Slide and make a basket catch. They go and hustle and then they just stop. Two more steps and I think they can have those, definitely.”
Lajoie redeemed herself in the bottom of the fifth when she scored the team’s first run. With Lehtomaki on third, Lajoie sent a ball past the diving pitcher and to short. Lehtomaki hesitated on the play, but slid in safely ahead of the catcher’s tag.
Athol pitcher Lindsey Leblanc then worked herself out of a jam in the sixth inning before her team added two runs to win the game. After allowing runners in scoring position, Leblanc struck out Kendall LeVasseur on a full count for the second out of the inning. She then walked the bases loaded, but forced a grounder for the force to end the inning.
“When I called a time out (in the sixth inning) to slow her down, she was ready to hand me the ball,” said Chauvette. “I’m like, ‘I don’t want the ball, you’re not coming out. I’m slowing you guys down, that’s all.’ But she’s been consistent for us and that’s why we threw her today. You can’t ask more from an eighth grader.”
Leblanc struck out seven, while stranding seven runners in the win.
With the win, Athol advances to face Greenfield High School in the quarterfinals round of the Western Massachusetts Division II playoff tournament, while the Panther’s season comes to an end. Athol and Greenfield will face-off at 6 p.m. on Monday in Greenfield.