GARDINER — Gardiner’s bats have come alive in time for the playoffs.
Tuesday, the Tigers rapped out nine hits and rode the pitching arm of junior Jillian Bisson to a 12-0 win against Lawrence in a Class B North prelim game that ended with Brooke Somes’ two-run double in the bottom of the sixth.
Eighth-seeded Gardiner (11-6) advances to play top-seeded Brewer in a quarterfinal game Thursday while No. 9 Lawrence finished 8-9.
These teams played a regular season game in Gardiner just 11 days ago with the visiting Bulldogs taking a 3-1 victory. In that one, Lawrence senior Samantha Marshall held the Tigers to two hits.
Gardiner freshman Maddie Farnham chases a foul ball during a Class B North prelim game against Lawrence on Tuesday in Gardiner.
The Tigers reversed that trend Tuesday beginning with Jaz Clary’s solo homer in the bottom of the second inning. The homer came on a 3-0 pitch and was Clary’s sixth of the season and third in as many at-bats, dating back to the last game of the regular season against Cony. The pitch she swung at wasn’t even a strike.
“It was nice and high and down the middle,” Clary said. “I love those (pitches).”
The Tigers scored three runs in the third and four in the fourth on a combination of two bunts, a pair of Bulldog errors and some timely hitting from Maddie Farnham and Meaghan Meehan. Farnham singled home a run in the third and two more in the fourth while Meehan singled twice and drove in a run.
“That’s our fuel is to get the bats going,” Gardiner coach Don Brochu said.
Bisson pitched well, scattering four hits while walking two and striking out five.
“Lately we’re all getting our heads in it,” Bisson said. “Especially me, I think I’m hitting my spots more.”
The Tigers also played well defensively, snuffing out potential Bulldog rallies in each of the last three innings. In the fifth, Gardiner center-fielder Sydney Bartunek ran down Brenna Sirois’ fly ball in the gap but dropped it. She recovered in time to throw Sirois out at second.
Everything that went right for the Tigers seemed to go wrong for the Bulldogs.
“I have a bunch of seniors that graduate this week,” Lawrence coach Joey Marcoux said. “Great group of kids, they carried us to this point. But it’s hard when you’re no longer in school every day. It’s not the same routine.”
The Tigers ended Lawrence threats in the sixth and seventh with double plays, both started by Bisson. In the sixth, Lawrence had runners at the corners with one out and the dangerous Haley Holt on deck. Megan Curtis lined the ball back to Bisson who doubled the runner off first to end the inning.
In the seventh, Holt collected her second hit of the game and after an out, Sirois hit a sharp ground ball up the middle that Bisson snared.
Gardiner senior Logan Granholm slides into home as Lawrence catcher Haley Holt tries to make a play during a Class B North prelim game Tuesday in Gardiner.
“I just stuck my glove out and it kind of went in there,” Bisson said. “I should have gone to (second) instead of (first) but we got it anyway.”
Bisson threw to first to get Sirois then Somes threw to second and caught Holt rounding the bag for the double play.
“That’s a throw-behind,” Brochu said. “It didn’t look good in practice but it did in the game.”
The Tigers scored four in the bottom of the sixth to invoke the 12-run rule and end the game. Bisson led the inning with a walk and took third on Haley Brann’s double. A ground ball and a fielder’s choice scored two runs and the final two came home when Somes doubled to the gap in left center.
“We live defense,” Brochu said. “If we keep hitting, we won’t give up many.”
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