WORCESTER – After failing to score during a one-run loss in last year’s Div. 4 state title game, the senior-laden Joseph Case softball team made a vow to never let offense be an issue this season.
Back in the Div. 4 state final for a second straight year, the top-seeded Cardinals (24-1) saw that through to the end with a 7-2 win over No. 2 Hampshire (20-5) Sunday night at Worcester State for their first state title since 2001.
Seniors were at the forefront, led by a grand slam from Brooke Orton, a two-run single from Jamie Moniz, a double from Skye Dupre, and a three-hit performance from Lexi Yost. Senior pitcher Hailey Berube also allowed just two runs in a complete game (seven hits, one walk, three strikeouts) from the circle.
“I’m so proud of my girls,” said Case head coach Shannon Silva, who pitched for the state champion Cardinals in 1995 and 1996. “This has been five years in the making since this group of seniors was in fifth grade, and every year we’ve gotten a little bit closer. This was just our year. These seniors weren’t accepting anything less than a state championship trophy today.”
After rain suspended the final from Friday at UMass Amherst to resume in the bottom of the second inning on Sunday, the offense quickly got going in the third.
Megan Smith (2-for-4, stolen base, run) and Yost each reached on infield singles with no outs. Hampshire opted to intentionally walk dangerous hitter Olivia Silva, but that meant loading the bases for Orton – batting cleanup.
Two pitches later, she sent one over the left-center wall for her ninth home run of the year and a 4-0 lead.
“All I was really hoping for was a single, I wasn’t expecting a grand slam,” said Orton, who took the intentional walk before her a bit personally. “It was really nice to hit it and put my team up on the board first. They always intentionally walk her and they always put me up next. I usually don’t perform that well, so I’m really happy I did this time.”
Moniz played a stellar game in right field but slipped when sizing up a line drive in the next half-inning. Teagan Charles legged out an RBI triple on the play for Hampshire, and an infield single from Emma Czarniecki cut the Red Raiders’ deficit to 4-2.
In search of more offense in the bottom of the sixth, the Cardinals then played a little small ball by advancing Dupre’s leadoff double and a Berube walk into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Moniz rifled a single up the middle to drive both in, and Yost added an RBI single two batters later to make it 7-2.
“We talked about it from Game 1; we are not going to be shut out in a game this year,” Shannon Silva said. “And we did not get shut out in one game all season. I knew we were going to score runs today. It was a matter of waiting for our pitch, driving it hard and playing solid D, and we did all that today.”
“It means a lot, especially since Shannon, I and Olivia – her daughter – and (Moniz), we started playing for her since we were 9-years-old,” Orton added. “To finally end our careers with a win is such a good feeling for us.”