WALPOLE – For as much as Walpole softball head coach Rachael Sprague says star pitcher Sharlotte Stazinski has vocally broken out of her shell over the last three years, perhaps the junior’s loudest moment yet came Friday night.
Facing a sixth-seeded Somerset Berkley team that scored the most runs over the Div. 2 state tournament’s first two rounds, Stazinski fanned 13 batters in a three-hit, complete-game shutout to power the No. 3 Timberwolves (20-1) to a 6-0 state quarterfinal win and their first state semifinal appearance in Sprague’s 14 years as head coach.
She only got better as the game went on, striking out eight over the final three innings. Add that to the two runs she scored, two-RBI performances from Caroline Doran and Sienna Kreuzer, and a small-ball masterpiece from the team, and it was as special of a night as any for Walpole.
Next up is the Final Four against the winner between No. 2 Tewksbury and No. 7 Bedford.
“This is just a huge, historical thing for us,” Sprague said. “It’s been such a journey this year. We’ve come so far and these girls work so hard. … It’s just all coming together at a perfect time and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
“I think we just worked so hard to get to this point,” added Stazinski. “We all have each others’ backs. … I don’t even know how to put it into words but we’re all so happy to be here.”
There was a stretch Stazinski looked untouchable, using her riser and curveball well together. She went 18 straight batters without allowing a hit after Makenzie Jacob’s leadoff infield single in the first inning, and she struck out nine of 12 batters at a point.
Stazinski has yet to allow a run this tournament, giving up just five hits and a walk with 35 strikeouts over 21 innings.
“I definitely want a revenge tour from last year and I’m doing it for our seniors,” Stazinski said. “I know they’ve been here for four years and they want it just as bad as everyone else. So, (I’m) just playing for them and doing my best so we can keep going.”
“(Stazinski) is just our rock,” Sprague added. “She is just so stoic, so solid. … We wouldn’t be able to do (this) without her.”
She couldn’t do it without her teammates, either.
Somerset Berkley starter Tatum Swanson (4.1 innings, three earned runs, two hits, walk, hit batter) pitched well. But Walpole moved runners even better, executing all three of its sacrifice bunts after leading off the first, third and fourth innings by reaching on a walk or error.
Grace Todd drove in the 1-0 lead on a groundout. Sienna Kreuzer ripped a two-out single in the third to bring in Ariana Kreuzer (walk, run), and Susie McAdams’ grounder in the fourth made it 3-0.
Sienna Kreuzer also hit a sacrifice fly two batters after Norah Broderick’s leadoff triple in the fifth inning, and Daley’s two-out single drove in two more.
“It was like those first two runs happened because of the bunt – because of moving the runner over,” Sprague said. “It’s all this stuff that we’ve been working on all year that’s finally coming together.”
Between that offensive output, and stellar defense behind her, Stazinski rallied off her teammates’ production to slam the door over the last three innings.
“It definitely gives me some comfort when we have room on the board,” Stazinski said. “Knowing that it’s OK if they get runners on. We can always get out of it, our defense is so good. I know they have my back.”