ORANGE — In what could have passed as a December day with temperatures in the 30s and cold winds, the Mahar softball team started its season just as cold with a 12-3 loss to Quabbin, Thursday afternoon.
“Obviously it’s not perfect weather conditions, but they’re tough. Both teams are tough,” Mahar coach Jerry Duguay said. “I’m not complaining to the girls. They played hard, you’ve just got to play through it.”
Alicia Swan, Karly Holgerson and Bria Gillon all hit inside-the-park home runs for the Panthers, who scored five runs in the sixth inning. All three home runs found the gap in left field, which played long due to there being no fence.
“With the wind conditions and everything, you don’t know if (the ball) would have lasted, it could have blown somewhere else,” said Duguay. “They hit the ball. We need to hit the ball harder. It’s the same for them as it is for us. They just hit the ball harder and they found the gaps. We could have done the same but we didn’t.”
Tied 1-1 with one out in the third inning, Swan hit the ball through the left side and into deep left field. She came home on the hit to put the Panthers up 2-1. Two batters later, Holgerson hit a ball to left field and with the wind curving the ball past Mahar left fielder Jordan Fournier, she came around to put Quabbin up 3-1.
Fournier made it 2-1 in the bottom of the third on a ball hit back to the pitcher, which allowed Lani DeDiego to come home on the play. The Senators had runners on second and third with two outs, but on a 2-2 count, Kayla Baker-Lafrennie struck out swinging.
The Panthers made it 5-2 in the fourth thanks to Gillon’s two-run, inside-the-park home run.
The Senators rallied in the fifth inning.
Megan Rich singled through the middle and reached third on a ball that went out of play and a wild pitch. She took home when Fournier, who walked on five pitches, stole second base, cutting the deficit to 5-3. With Fournier on second, Shelby Ponusky struck out swinging to end the inning.
DeDiego opened the fifth with a double to left field. However, she tried stretching it into a triple and was thrown out at third on a throw from the left fielder.
“When she rounded first, the opposing coach was yelling three because that’s where (Quabbin) should have thrown the ball,” Duguay said. “It confused her and she ran for three for no reason.”
Quabbin took a 10-3 lead in the sixth inning. It started the inning with three straight singles, the third of which scored one run to put Quabbin up 6-3. Rich then got Elle Bedard to strike out looking. With one out, Swan hit a two-run single up the middle to put Quabbin up 8-3. The Panthers put together three more singles and two more runs to go up 10-3. Rich then forced a ground out at second base to end the inning.
“They were hitting the ball and a little of our inexperience showed,” said Duguay. “Some of the girls were a little confused on their assignments, so we’ve got to work on that.”
Rich pitched seven innings, allowing one walk and striking out two.
“Can’t speak enough about both pitchers,” said Duguay. “(Rich is) tough. Again, Megan is only a sophomore and you wouldn’t even know if anything is bothering her. She’s so mentally strong. It will come to her.”
Rich went 2-for-5 and scored one run. DeDiego went 2-for-3 with one run, two doubles, one walk and one stolen base. Fournier went 1-for-2 with one walk, one stolen base and one RBI.
Eighth-grader Juliana Herbert played in her first varsity game. She added one walk and one RBI.
The Senators will be back at it Friday at 4 p.m. against Springfield High School of Science and Technology.