Softball: Hampshire’s Ryanne Dubay strikes out 15, Frontier suffers first loss

WESTHAMPTON — Ryanne Dubay stood in the face of an undefeated opponent for the Hampshire Regional softball team on Friday afternoon. Dubay accepted the challenge, striking out 15 hitters for the Raiders in a 2-0 win over Frontier Regional in an independent matchup.

Dubay offered up a dizzying array of pitches, locations and speeds to keep the Frontier hitters off-balance. The junior gave up a hit in the first inning but did not give up another until the sixth inning. She had two walks. In a close game with the thinnest of margins, Dubay had to be great to give Frontier its first loss of the season.

“My fastball and my change up were definitely working for me,” Dubay said. “Those two are confident pitches. If I can throw my change up than I can feel pretty confident about my other pitches…my determination was on and my pitches were on. Everything was working for me today.”

With the playoffs fast approaching, The Raiders (10-4) feel primed for the postseason. Hampshire has seen its fair share of tough competition all season.

“We’ve been playing it all year,” Hampshire coach Brian McGan said. “We knew they (Frontier) were a good team going forward. We swung the bats well; a couple balls hit right at people…Ryanne (Dubay) pitched a great game. Kept them off balance. We can’t complain about a performance like that.”

Raegan Dubay reached the 100-hit milestone with a single in the bottom of the fourth.

“I am super proud of myself,” Raegan Dubay said. “I want to thank my coaches a lot. They’ve been helping me put in all the effort and the work. I am super excited to know that the pressure is off of me.”

McGan said he was relieved that the 100th hit finally came for the junior.

“I am glad it’s over,” McGan said. “It’s been coming and she’s been pressing a little bit at the plate,you could see it in her swing. It’s one of those things you are just glad it’s over with. But it’s a great accomplishment for her. It’s always good when a kid can do something like that.”

Skyler Steele had the only two hits of the game for the Redhawks (16-1). Steele was a defensive vacuum the entire game at shortstop, the junior made three unassisted plays to close out the Raiders in the bottom of the second. The first was a laser from Mariah Pacinella, but Steele jumped and snagged it out of the air to come down with the out.

“We are definitely going to see them again,” Steele said. “I am so proud of my girls. We held them until the fifth. That was unbelievable. It was such a good game.”

Eighth grader Lexi Hawkins kept Frontier in the game in the circle, but the Raiders capitalized on some mistakes in the fifth inning to take the 2-0 lead. Hawkins gave up six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

“We knew this was coming,” Frontier coach Gary Deane said. “It’s good to lose to a great team. Great to see them at the end of the season rather than the beginning of the season…Lexi (Hawkins) pitched dynamite, so impressed with her.”

Hampshire scored its runs in the fifth when Chelsea Vanasse led off the inning with a single. Vanasse would later come home on a passed ball. Brooke Labrie scored the other run on a successful double steal. The Raiders drew two walks in the inning. Labrie had two stolen bases for Hampshire.

Steele finished 2-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base for Frontier. Reygan Horstmann had a double for the Raiders. Rachael Hickox, Lucy Trombley and Pacinella each added a hit for Hampshire.

Steele singled in the first and then reached third on a two-base error, but the Redhawks could not bring her in for a run.