Mounties eliminate Panthers with extra-innings win

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The Johnston Lady Panthers fell to the Mount St. Charles Mounties, 10-9, in extra innings during the Division II playoffs at Rhode Island College on Saturday afternoon. Mount St. Charles sophomore Talia Williams hit a two-run walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning to oust Johnston.

Johnston held a five-run lead after three innings, but Panthers’ head coach Manny DaCosta never got complacent.

“I never really felt comfortable personally because you can see that they can hit,” DaCosta said. “And we were making plays and they were making some mistakes, so you knew that they could crack it open at any time, but every time we got back up they scored more runs. It was a hell of a game.”

Johnston sophomore right fielder Emily Raposo had three hits and three RBIs and junior first baseman Katarina St. Angelo added two hits and three RBIs, plus a walk.

Johnston had a good season, finishing in third place, but the team clearly wasn’t happy with its exit from the bracket.

“We fought all day, but we came up short,” DaCosta said. “Obviously, the team is disappointed it’s not playing tomorrow. That’s really what it’s about today. They really don’t care about the rest.”

Senior Taylor Newcomb started in the circle for Mount St. Charles and pitched for four innings. Madison Plouffe, the team’s junior ace, pitched the entire game for the Panthers.

Johnston’s Jordan Moretti led off the game with a single up the middle. Next, junior Lauren Civetti launched an RBI double to left to score Moretti, putting the Panthers up 1-0.

Mount St. Charles’ Emily D’Abrosca led off the bottom of the first with a double to left field. Next, Kaitlyn D’Abrosca reached base with an infield hit. With runners at the corners, Emily D’Abrosca and Kaitlyn D’Abrosca executed a double steal, leading to a run for Mount St. Charles, making it 1-1. Next, Williams hit an RBI single, giving Mount St. Charles a 2-1 edge.

In the top of the third, Moretti led off with a single past the second baseman. Next, Civetti earned a walk. With one out, Gianna Vizzacco walked to load the bases. Then, St. Angelo batted a single to center that was misplayed by the outfielder and scored two runs, giving Johnston a 3-2 edge. Next, Raposo hit an RBI single to score a runner, putting Johnston up 4-2.

Plouffe led off the top of the fourth with a single. Then, Moretti laid down a perfect bunt to put runners at first and second. After Civetti hit a fly ball out, both runners moved up on an error during a throw in to the infield. Sophomore Sophia DaCosta used a ground ball to drive in Plouffe, putting the Panthers up 5-2. Shortly after, Moretti scored on a passed ball, giving Johnston a 6-2 edge. Not long after, Raposo planted an RBI single to extend the Panthers’ lead to 7-2.

With one down in the bottom of the fourth, Mount St. Charles’ freshman Victoria Young hit an RBI single up the middle, pulling her squad within 7-3.

In the bottom of the fifth, Mount St. Charles would even the score. With two down and runners at first and second, Emily Cournoyer hit an RBI single to shallow right to pull her team within 7-4. Then, with runners at the corners, Shea Kelliher trotted home from third after a passed ball, pulling Mount St. Charles closer at 7-5. With runners at the corners, Emily D’Abrosca launched a shot to center to score another run, making it 7-6. Then, with runners at second and third, Kaitlyn D’Abrosca hit an infield single, scoring another run and tying the game at 7.

During the top of the sixth, Johnston’s Civetti led off with an infield hit. With one out, and Civetti on second, Vizzacco hit a blast and headed for extra bases. Civetti scored to give Johnston the lead, but the catcher was thrown out trying to take third.

The Panthers held an 8-7 advantage until Mount St. Charles rallied to tie it in the bottom of the seventh.

Mount St. Charles’ Young, who came in relief in the fifth inning, had a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth. On the other side, Plouffe and the Johnston defense worked their way out of a jam in the bottom of the inning.

Johnston’s Sophia DaCosta led off the top of the ninth with a single to center. The runner would move up on a passed ball. With two down, Raposo launched an RBI-double to right, putting the Panthers up, 9-8.

Plouffe remained in the circle in the bottom of the inning. Mount St. Charles’ Emily D’Abrosca reached with a leadoff bunt. Next, Kaitlyn D’Abrosca got an infield hit. With two runners on, the designated player, Williams, launched a rocket past Febus in center field, bringing in two runs to walk off with the win.   

DaCosta had pondered whether or not to bring in his star freshman prospect Jenni Aubin to pitch in relief during the late innings.

“I thought about it a couple times, but obviously it was always that close line and then she is my junior to a freshman and it’s hard to put a freshman under that pressure.”

“But she’s going to be a very good pitcher in the future here,” Manny DaCosta said with confidence. “There’s no doubt about it. She’s going to see a lot of action next season. She’s a good young player.”

Mount St. Charles fell, 3-2, to Barrington in the final on Tuesday.

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