Cougar girls shut out by Roadrunners

DIXFIELD -- There are times when the best offense is a good defense and the Dirigo softball team discovered first hand just how frustrating it can be as the lack of offense proved to be its own waterloo.

Dirigo refused to go down quietly and had the eventual tying runs on base in the bottom of the seventh, however, things didn’t pan out in a 2-0 loss against Mount Abram at cozy Marble Park. The Lady Cougars had entered the MVC game unbeaten and felt confident they could dismantle the Roadrunners. It almost happened.

Mount Abram had the two-run lead, but Alyssa "Tipper" Wade doubled (only extra base hit in the contest) leading off the bottom of the seventh to start a potential come back. Tasha DeRoche reached on an error and then stole second, to put two runners in scoring position. MA pitcher Molly McCafferty struck out Kyme Dolloff and then got Brooke Kersey to ground a ball back to the circle.

McCafferty double-pumped a throw to first base and caught Wade wandering off third and ran her down for the second out of the inning. Mariah Larson grounded out to end the game.

“Molly McCafferty did a great job keeping us off balance the whole game,” said Dirigo coach Clint Dolloff. “The second out in the seventh really took the air out of our comeback.”

Ambyr Wilson tossed a complete game six-hitter, all singles, in the losing effort. MA’s Taylor Henderson walked leading off the bottom of the first inning and eventually scored on an RBI single to left by McCafferty.

Dirigo had an opportunity when Alyssa Charity singled with one out in the third, Gretchen Bradbury popped out. Wilson singled and executed a double steal with Charity. Paige Murphy grounded out to end the threat. DeRoche singled leading off the second and stole a base, but was stranded.

“Defensivly we played real well,” said coach Dolloff. “That’s what kept us in the game because our offense was marooned.”

Murphy (four assists) threw a runner out at home from second base, Charity threw out Henderson trying to steal second from her knees. Plus she caught Jill Howard off third and got her out in a rundown. Wilson played a bunt off the mound and threw Sam Wirzanski out at second.