AMHERST — Encroaching storm clouds failed to attract the Hampshire Regional softball team’s attention Tuesday.
Whether the top-seeded Raiders finished their Western Massachusetts Division 2 semifinal against No. 4 Southwick at UMass’ Sortino Field Tuesday or later mattered less than the final result.
Southwick’s Brittany Penland grounded out to Hampshire first baseman Madison Philbrook just before the drizzle started in the top of the seventh, ending a 7-0 Raiders win.
“No one was really thinking about the weather,” Hampshire junior Katy O’Connor said. “We were just thinking about playing a game.”
Hampshire (19-2) reached the Western Mass. finals for the third consecutive season and will play No. 2 Palmer (17-4), which beat Easthampton in the other semifinal.
The championship will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Sortino Field.
The Raiders have won the last two sectional titles and are the defending state champions.
“It’s a different environment to be in,” Hampshire junior Danielle McGan said. “It’s easier to be here before and understand where you are.”
Hampshire valued its base runners early.
Taylor Boutwell wore an inside fastball with two outs in the bottom of the first.
She stole second on a close throw from Southwick catcher Tori DellaGiustina then moved to third on a wild pitch.
O’Connor struck out in the next at-bat, but DellaGiustina dropped the third strike.
Boutwell came home to put Hampshire up 1-0, and O’Connor reached first safely.
The Raiders added another run in the third on an O’Connor RBI single, scoring Boutwell again. O’Connor battled the entire at-bat, fouling off several pitches, including one sharply toward the dugout that she apologized to her teammates for.
“Thinking’s your worst enemy. If I start thinking about it is when I start pulling my head or completely missing the ball,” O’Connor said. “(I was thinking about it) a little bit first, and then I calmed myself down.”
Hampshire’s bats rolled in the fourth inning.
Alexis Ferris, who picked up the win on the mound striking out 11 with just two hits and a walk, led off the inning with a single, then went to third on an error that put runners on the corners.
“First couple innings balls were being hit to us, and we made the play. That helped us continue to stay confident,” Southwick coach Todd Downie said. “They’re just so talented top to bottom.”
Paige Sullivan laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Ferris, then Chelsea Moussette flew out.
Danielle McGan followed with a sharp foul ball to the left of the third baseline that forced the third base coach, aka her father Hampshire coach Brian McGan, into evasive maneuvers.
“He just lets it slide,” Danielle McGan said. “We don’t talk about it after.”
She followed the foul with an RBI triple that extended Hampshire’s lead to 4-0.
Boutwell drove her in with a single, then O’Connor hit another RBI single and scored on an error to give the Raiders their final margin.
“There’s definitely a momentum to it,” O’Connor said. “If someone gets a hit then we’re all kind of amped in the dugout and the next person, we’re even more riled up for them.”
Ferris didn’t let Southwick get any closer.
She sat down 12 straight batters from the fourth through the sixth inning.
“She got ahead. She was behind in the beginning, and it hurt. We had to come in with the fastball, and hopefully they didn’t tag it too much,” Brian McGan said. “Her biggest key is to stay ahead. When she stays ahead she’s tough.”
Southwick mounted its biggest threat in the top of the seventh inning.
Kate Sylvia opened with a single, but DellaGiustina grounded out right after.
Nikki Willey reached on a one-out error to put two runners on for the first time all game.
Ferris struck out Gillian Ensign for the second out, and Penland ended the game.
Hampshire now will play for a third straight sectional title and a chance to continue its quest for a state title repeat.
“They’ll enjoy this tonight, but it’ll be over quick,” Brian McGan said.
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com.