RICHMOND — With a handful of games already postponed this spring, the Temple and Richmond softball teams decided to play through the raindrops Tuesday afternoon. 

Caitlin Kendrick struck out 14 and the Bobcats took advantage of some Temple miscues to win their first game of the season with an 8-0 victory.

Richmond pitcher Caitlin Kendrick delivers a pitch during a game against Temple on Tuesday in Richmond. Kendrick struck out 14 in an 8-0 victory. Times Record photo by Eric Maxim

“It’s always great to get a good win,” Richmond coach Tony Martin said. “Keeping everyone’s mind in the game in weather like this is key — keep them focused and in the game.”

The Bobcats scored all the runs they would need in the second, when Bryannah Shea smacked a triple to right center and came around to score on a throwing error. They plated another run after Ashley Brown came around to score thanks to some throwing errors.

Things went from bad to worse for Temple when its defense started to leave the field after it thought it recorded the third and final out of the inning via a Deleyni Carr strikeout.

Instead, there were just two outs, and when no one called timeout, Paige Lebel and Leah Wescott came around to score to make it a 4-0 game. Lebel and Wescott reached base via singles. 

Nicole Tribbet followed with a single and promptly swiped two bags — Richmond had 11 steals on the day. Tribbet came home on a throwing error to make it 5-0.

“These girls haven’t played a lot on a dirt field so far this season; we play a lot of games at Colby College on turf, so it plays totally different,” Temple coach Kim Feugill said.

Meanwhile, Kendrick continue to shine in the circle by striking out the side in the third inning and retiring the Temple hitters in order in the fourth. The Bereans recorded their first hit of the game when Juliette Quodbach dropped a ball behind the drawn-in third baseman to lead off the fifth. However, she was stranded on first after Kendrick stuck out the next three hitters.

“For a cold rainy day, it’s hard to keep any pitcher warm and keep her focused,” Martin said. “She threw some balls and hit a batter but regained her focus and had help with a lot of talk behind her.”

Temple Academy’s Amber Labbe, left, looks down Richmond runner Bryanne Lancaster before throwing the ball to home, forcing Lancaster back to third in Tuesday’s high school Class D softball game in Richmond. The Bobcats won, 8-0. (Eric Maxim / The Times Record) Times Record photo by Eric Maxim

Despite the wet conditions, Kendrick said she felt comfortable in the circle, recognizing the job at hand and keeping the visiting hitters off balance.

“It’s been a priority I pitch well this season to take some pressure off our young infield,” the senior said. “We try to keep them off balance, especially the good batters. We don’t want to give them anything good to hit so we try to work them over with my pitches.”

“There were some balls that were close because of the weather, but she got it together and threw strikes. She likes to work all of her pitches, keep them guessing,” added Kendrick’s catcher Shea.

The Bobcats plated three more runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double from Bryanne Lancaster.

“It was nice to see the bats. We started hitting the ball once we adjusted to the strike zone and putting the ball in play,” Martin said. “We tell them ‘you have to go after the ball and not let it go by you.’ If you’re not swinging, you’re not going to get any hits. They got more aggressive as the game went on and that I was glad about. They learn something every game, they’re a good group of kids.”

Carr finished with eight strikeouts, scattering five hits while walking three Bobcats.