Wizards hand Pats second loss of season

Matt Metcalf, Sports Editor
Posted 5/12/15

The Pilgrim softball team has already established itself as a contender in Division II this season, but it had an opportunity to really make some noise on Friday night, when the Pats traveled to West …

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Wizards hand Pats second loss of season

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The Pilgrim softball team has already established itself as a contender in Division II this season, but it had an opportunity to really make some noise on Friday night, when the Pats traveled to West Warwick in a battle of one-loss teams.

But the Wizards defended their home field, handing the Pats just their second loss of the season, 6-0.

Pilgrim had trouble mustering any offense against West Warwick ace, Briana Gough.

Gough went the distance for the win, tossing seven shutout innings, while striking out five and allowing just three hits.

“Briana’s really good, so we knew coming into the game that we had to stay close,” Pilgrim head coach Bill Aquilante said. “After we fell down, 4-0, it was tough to come back against a pitcher like that.”

You have to score to win, but Pilgrim’s defense didn’t exactly do itself any favors on Friday night, as four of the six runs allowed were unearned in the loss.

After West Warwick was able to manufacture a run in the bottom of the first, it plated three more runs in the second to take a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Wizards started off that second inning with a single and a walk against Pilgrim pitcher Morgan Almon, but an errant throw on a sacrifice bunt allowed a run to score, before two more scored on groundouts.

Before the Pats knew it, they were chasing four runs against one of the best pitchers in the state – not an ideal scenario.

Olivia King registered Pilgrim’s first hit with two outs in the top of the third, but Gough was able to work around that hit, getting Ellen McDonnell to groundout to third to end the inning.

Almon worked around a serious jam in the third to keep the game at 4-0.

With runners on second and third and nobody out, Almon struck out the next two hitters, before inducing a groundout to end the inning.

Almon hurled a complete game for the Pats, while striking out six and allowing just two earned runs – turning in another solid outing.

“She pitched us out of some situations tonight,” Aquilante said of Almon. “They had second and third with no outs in one inning and she was able to get us out of it.”

Pilgrim’s best offensive threat came in the fifth inning when a single by McDonnell and an error gave it first and second with nobody out.

But Victoria Blanchard tried to bunt for a hit, which allowed the Wizards to get the lead runner at third.

She was followed by a groundout and a strikeout to end the threat.

It turned out that the four-run lead was more than enough for the Wizards, who are now 9-1 on the season.

“When you’re chasing four runs against Briana Gough, it’s tough to come back,” Aquilante said. “But we had our chances – we just lacked that big hit.”

West Warwick added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth, when an error allowed a pair of runners to score with two outs, upping the Wizards’ lead to 6-0.

Centerfielder Madison Balutowski had the only other hit for Pilgrim in the loss.

With the loss, the Pats fell to 8-2, but will learn from Friday night’s game and move forward.

“We’re close, but we’re not there yet,” Aquilante said. “We talked about the four or five teams that are elite in Division II, and we’re not there yet. We’re in the conversation, but until we beat a team like West Warwick or North Providence, we’re not really part of the conversation.”

However, at 8-2, Pilgrim is right on that fringe and should be a contender until the very end this season.

The Pats will look to bounce back today at 4:30 p.m. at Winslow Park against Exeter/West Greenwich.

“As long as we peak at the end of the season, we’ll be in good shape,” Aquilante said.

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