LISBON — Brittany Norman ripped two long triples on Wednesday during a key Mountain Valley Conference high school softball game for her Lisbon Greyhounds.
But, it was her lightest hit ball of the game that produced her team’s biggest run, with a sacrifice fly ball off the Lisbon leadoff hitter’s bat scoring teammate Ivy Norris with the winning run for a big 6-5 victory over Carrabec.
The teams entered the contest close in the Class C South Heal Point Standings, with the Cobras (9-5) in fourth and the Greyhounds (9-4) in fifth. The Lisbon win swapped those positions.
In a game of big sixth-inning runs, it was Lisbon and Norman that came away victorious. Carrabec, after committing five errors in the first two innings while falling behind 3-0, scored four times off Lisbon pitcher Abby Miner (complete game, six hits, five runs, three earned, six strikeouts and one intentional walk) for a 5-4 lead.
Lisbon took advantage of two more Cobra errors in the sixth to score a pair of runs in taking the lead back, with Miner setting Carrabec down 1-2-3 in the seventh.
“We have talked a lot about rising to the challenge and bouncing back from adversity, and we were able to work through it today,” said Lisbon coach Terri Tlumac.
Trailing 4-1 entering the sixth, Carrabec finally solved Lisbon lefty starter Abby Miner. Melanie Clark reached on an error and scored on a triple by Sam Lebeau. After an intentional walk to Bailey Dunphy, MacKenzie Baker hit a sharp grounder back to the mound, with Miner throwing to catcher Giana Russo to retire Lebeau for the inning’s first out.
“I would like to think that we can continue to be aggressive, even though that did hurt us a few times today,” said Carrabec first-year coach Heath Cowan, who saw three of his Cobra runners thrown out on the bases. “I would rather play like that than sit back and be tentative. If you get thrown out trying to take an extra base, I am OK with that.”
An infield single by Paige Giroux loaded the bases, and Chey Sirois dropped a two-run single just inside the right-field line to tie the game.
“That felt great. I have been struggling at the plate, so that hit was big. Our effort was so much better today than the first time (a 7-2 Lisbon win on opening day),” Sirois said.
A ground ball by MacKenzie Edes scored Giroux with the go-ahead run, giving the Cobras a 5-4 advantage.
But, Lisbon came right back as Miner doubled to right field and trotted home on an RBI single by Norris to tie the game. An error, Carrabec’s seventh, put runners at the corners, and Norman lifted a medium-range fly ball to center field, with Norris easily scoring for a 6-5 Lisbon lead.
Lebeau was solid in the circle for Carrabec, allowing seven hits, six runs (three earned) with five strikeouts and one walk. She also led at the plate, going 2-for-4. Her fourth-inning single was the first of the game for Carrabec, while Dunphy singled in the frame and later scored on a throwing error to get the Cobras on the board.
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