DIGHTON — If ever there was a must-win game in April, Saturday was it for the Dighton-Rehoboth softball team.
After a win over Bourne, vacation week was shaping up as a potential disaster for the Falcons with consecutive lopsided losses to South Coast Conference wagons Case and Apponequet. Falcons’ head coach Katie Holmes didn’t want to see her squad lose three in a row and give up ground in the SCC.
The Falcons have been stinging the ball so far this spring, then registered a satisfying 3-2 win Saturday over non-league opponent Bishop Feehan using some timely hitting and solid pitching from Hannah Carey and Kylie Hillier. Morgan Corey continued her torrid hitting with a single, double and an RBI for Dighton-Rehoboth while Caleigh Cloonan and Emma Horrocks both knocked in runs for the 6-3 Falcons.
The win evened Dighton-Rehoboth’s record to 2-2 for the week and a shot of momentum going forward.
“It was a tough schedule for us this week but to end it this way I think was a really positive note because we had a strong couple of games,” said head coach Katie Holmes. “Going into Case we knew they were a phenomenal team. Yesterday (Friday against Apponequet) was an off-day for us. They played a great game. This was a really big game for us. We didn’t want to lose another one.”
Bishop Feehan pitcher Mylee Ramer looked sharp in the first inning, sitting down the Falcon bats on three consecutive strikeouts. She also got Dighton-Rehoboth in order in the fourth on three consecutive groundouts and had another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth.
“She got hurt last year and we’re getting her back up,” said Bishop Feehan head coach Bill Milot.
With one out Haleigh Kelley was hit by a pitch and Madelyn Kelley reached on an error. Ramer got the next batter on strikes, but consecutive RBI singles to right by Corey and Cloonan gave the Falcons a 2-0 lead.
The Shamrocks went down in order in the third and Dighton-Rehoboth went back to work in the bottom of the inning. Cloonan just missed a home run on a blast off the right-field fence for a double. She scored to make it 3-0 on a Horrocks groundout two batters later.
Bishop Feehan (3-4) got on the board in the fifth when consecutive singles by Ramer, Madolyn Coupal and Sarah Dupre cut the lead to 3-1. An RBI single by Ramer in the sixth scored Madi Narducci, but that would be as close as the Shamrocks would get.
“We graduated six starting seniors and the whole year so far is how do we replace them,” said Milot. “I think defensively fine. I think on offense we have to keep working on it and working on it.”