Falcon softball team edged in prelim

READFIELD -- Things started well for the Mountain Valley softball team, however, the players experienced first hand how important it is to maintain focus because things can fall a part in a Class B preliminary playoff game.

The Lady Falcons offense was in gear and pitcher Lindsay Marston went the distance, but was a victim of non-support in a 10-7 loss to #9 seed Lake Region.

No. 8 Mountain Valley was the home team, but the game was played at Kents Hill. The old ball grounds had flooded and the private school has artificial turf; the game was moved a day earlier because of the Falcons senior banquet.

MV entered the game with high expectations because it had finished strong in the regular season. The quarterfinal contest presented an opportunity that the Falcons wasn't about to pass on by a preliminary playoff game yesterday; the old ball grounds was flooded.

"We went through a spell that our team wasn't hitting the ball well," said the coach. "The slump was through 3-4 games. Our last three games, our bats have come alive and each and every girl is hitting the ball hard. When our girls get on base, they run the bases real well."

Each team scored early, LR with three runs and MV had two runs in the first inning and Marston and catcher Katie Collette proceeded to shut the Lakers down for the next two innings. MV grabbed the lead when Delaney Paterson delivered a leadoff home run in the second inning. Another run would score also.

MV had 11 hits in the game, including two each by Shannon Laubauksas, Brooke Dolloff and Kristin Ridge. Each doubled, with Dolloff and Ridge hitting two for extra bases.

The Falcons had received solid defense over the prior two weeks, however, they shot themselves in the foot by committing seven errors in the field, which Lake Region promptly took full advantage of.

The Lakers broke things open by scoring five runs, mostly unearned, in the fourth. The Lakers shut down the Falcons again and plated three more in the fifth to lead 10-4.

LR proved up to the task defensively, committing only one error. The Falcons were unable to string together many hits and scored three runs the rest of the game.

MV had received solid contributions from senior Hannah LaPointe and Kasey Smith through out the season. LR was shutout by top-seed Fryeburg in a quarterfinal game.