On Wednesday, April 24, the Bromfield softball team lost to Littleton 14-0 after just six innings of play; according to the run-ahead rule, a game is terminated when one team is ahead by 10 or more points by the end of the fifth inning. The loss brings Bromfield’s record to 0-4 and Littleton’s to 2-0. Despite this being the fourth game Bromfield has lost this season, the team kept a positive spirit and made tactical defensive plays.
Bromfield was up first and got three straight outs, but the team did better in the field. Sophomore Michelle Mazzu, first at bat, was tagged out by a throw from third to first. Next, sophomore Perla Walling-Sotolongo made contact with the ball on two pitches before striking out. Junior captain Philipa Harvey was third to bat and struck out. In the field, Harvey caught the first Littleton hit out behind third base, and sophomore Sadie Keiran thwarted the efforts of the third batter. Senior Katelyn Adams, right outfielder, made the last out of the inning by catching the ball just behind second base. Littleton made one run in the first inning.
During the bottom of the second inning, the girls made numerous impressive plays. Mazzu and sophomore catcher Elizabeth Cohen made an out at home, and 20 minutes in, Harvey threw to third base for an out. However, Littleton managed to score four runs in the second inning.
Bromfield got on base a few times in the next innings, but the team’s strength was in its fielding. Sophomore Emily Douglas made a hit beyond second base to begin the third inning, and the team cheered wildly from the dugout. At the bottom of the inning, sophomore Lauren Walling-Sotolongo made a play at first by tagging the base after retrieving the ball. Four minutes in, Cohen made a fierce play at home on an unexpected bunt. Harvey made an impressive double play with a catch at third and a throw to second, seven minutes into the bottom of the fourth inning. Cohen started the fifth with a hit to second. At the end of the inning, Lauren Walling-Sotolongo made a double play with a catch and a tag at first. The game was called at the end of the sixth inning at 4:48 p.m.
After the game Adams attributed the loss to lack of outdoor practice, saying, “We’ve had two practices outside, on a field, and four games. That’s the entire amount of practice we’ve had on a field.” Perla Walling-Sotolongo explained the batting problems the same way: “You can’t hit real balls inside. You can hit the felt balls, but they’re not really real.”
First year head Coach Bob Miller commented, “We made a few really good defensive plays, two of them leading to double plays.” He added, “I do want to call out, in particular, the game that Elizabeth Cohen had … She’s our catcher. She got on base both times, she walked, and she got a hit, and she just did a great job behind the plate: blocking balls, catching a pop out. She just all around had a really good game.”
Miller is looking forward to getting onto a field and says he anticipates improvement from the girls as the season goes on. He wants to focus on communication and understanding how to handle the ball. “If we can improve in those two areas, which I am confident we will do over the course of the year,” he said, “we have a strong future.”
Sophia Zhou is a Bromfield freshman.
