EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton softball team continued its hot start to the season, defeating Granby Rams 19-5 in five innings, Wednesday afternoon at Nonotuck Park.
Freshman pitcher Rachel Robinson has started and won all three games for the Eagles (3-0), and is drawing the attention of her teammates, coaches and spectators.
“We played with 10 players today with our shortstop, third baseman and right fielder on vacation,” Eagles coach Homar Gomez said. “But, I told her just to pitch, and not to worry about that. And that’s what she knows how to do. She did well again.”
The game was played amid off-and-on rain showers, which worked in Easthampton’s favor. Granby freshman Lindsey Wenzal had a hard time throwing strikes. She walked 19 batters in four innings, 15 of whom came around to score. She struck out three.
Robinson had just one walk and struck out six. She surrendered four earned runs.
“I threw my cutter, that was working really well, and my change-up was working too,” Robinson said. “My teammates did great at the plate too. Whatever (Wenzal) gave us, we could really get a hold of.”
Robinson went 3-for-3 with two runs and five RBIs. She was a home run short of the cycle.
Sophomore Michelle McDermott (two walks) had a three-run triple in the bottom of the fourth. Charlotte Beningan-White added a two-run double in the first to open the scoring.
Granby senior Kate Sullivan went 2-for-3 with four RBIs. She took Robinson deep to left-center for a two-run blast in the top of the fifth.
Rams junior catcher Mallory Beauregard singled to open the game, stole two bases and came home on a fielder’s choice to put Granby in front, 1-0. Easthampton answered with three runs in the inning’s bottom half, and never trailed again.
After scoring three more runs in the bottom of the second, the Eagles broke it open with a six-run third. Wenzal struck out the first two batters, but one reached on a dropped third strike. After four walks and a two-run single by sophomore catcher Olivia Downer, Downer came around to make it 12-1.
The Rams scored another run on an RBI single by Wenzal in the top of the fourth, but the Eagles struck again with seven runs in the bottom of the frame.
After giving up the home run with two outs in the top of the fifth, Robinson got junior Emily Sawyer to pop-up to second base for the game’s final out.
“Everytime that we’re practicing and playing, these girls improve, improve, and improve,” Gomez said. “We’ve been working really hard on that type of stuff, taking better pitches, and waiting for your pitch, and they did that today.”
Granby (1-4) will host Mount Greylock this afternoon at 4. The undefeated Eagles host Hopkins Academy next Monday afternoon.
“I’m pretty confident,” said Robinson of her team’s play. “I think that we can keep this up if we just play like we’ve been playing.”