RallyNorth.net

Mon, Jun 02, 2008 04:00 PM @ Ipswich

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
Playoff Game
Winthrop	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Ipswich	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	2

Freshman Glavin lifts Ipswich softball in 11th inning

Monday, June, 02 By Mike Grenier
Staff writer

IPSWICH -- Nobody can predict how far the Ipswich High softball team will go in the Division 3 North Tournament this season. But no matter how far the Tigers go, yesterday's instant classic against Winthrop is the game they'll be talking about many years from now.

After pulling themselves off the proverbial edge of the cliff with a run in the bottom of the seventh to prevent an unimaginably painful loss to the team that knocked them out of the tourney last year, the Tigers won it in the 11th, 2-1, on freshman catcher Liz Glavin's double down the third base line. Sophomore third baseman Kelly Michael, who led off the inning with her third hit of the game, scored the winning run.

"This is the best softball game I've ever been a part of," said veteran Ipswich coach Doug Woodworth, whose team is assured of playing in Thursday's semifinal (time TBA) at Martin Field in Lowell against the winner of today's St. Mary's-Minuteman Regional contest. "This is what you work for when you have those 6 a.m. practices and the kids do the extra stuff. It paid off today."

To get the win, Ipswich's junior right-hander, Kerry Desmond, had to outlast Northeastern Conference MVP Kristen Finn, who kept Ipswich off the board for six innings. Desmond had a headache in the heat, but she persevered, throwing 133 pitches, letting up three hits, striking out 13 and walking only one. Winthrop's first three hitters were a combined 1 for 14 against Desmond. Ipswich, on the other hand, accumulated 10 hits, including the three by Michael and two each by Emma Docking, Courtney Rosales and Emily Bouvier.

"That's the longest I've pitched in my life," said Desmond, who is 18-3 this season (Ipswich is 19-3). "We had a heart-wrenching loss to Winthrop last year and they gave us a good game again today.

"The whole thing at the end was staying positive as a team. I just tried to stay mentally tough (on the mound). No matter how hard it is physically, you've got to be mentally tough. That's how you go deeper into a game."

How close did Ipswich come to losing? Very, very close. Winthrop (15-7) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh when first baseman Ashley Fiandaca hit a shot in the gap and it turned into a home run when centerfielder Tiffany DiFrancesco, who is Ipswich's best outfielder, fell as she attempted to retrieve the ball.

Finn now had a chance to close it out against the bottom of the order for Ipswich, but the Winthrop ace couldn't make it happen. Bouvier led off with a single to center and pinch-runner Kylie Shea stole second. Jackie Hulbert flew out to right, but Rosales hit a vicious grounder through shortstop Courtney Finn's legs to make it 1-1.

Given a new life and extra innings, the Tigers ran with it, although it took them another four innings to put the Vikings away.

Michael, who made a superb play at third base to finish off Winthrop in the top of the 11th, stroked a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning. Desmond then grounded out to second, but it served the same purpose as a bunt since Michael moved into scoring position. Glavin followed with a hard grounder down the line that enabled Michael to score, igniting the Tigers' well-deserved celebration.

"It was nerve-wracking (to hit in that situation)," said Glavin, who showed so much ability behind the plate as an incoming freshman that it allowed Woodworth to move the valuable Krista MacKenzie to second base. "I had to calm down. Coach (Woodworth) told me to go after the first strike."

It was an unforgettable ending to an unforgettable game.