RICHMOND — There have been few close calls during the Richmond softball team’s 81-game win streak. The Bobcats, for the most part, have rolled over opponents en route to four straight Class D state championships.
Last Thursday’s game against Traip Academy in Kittery was an exception.
Richmond found itself trailing 1-0 in the seventh inning to a Class C opponent with a dominant pitcher on the mound.
With one out, freshman Bri Lancaster singled up the middle and senior Mackenzie Abbott followed with a base hit of her own. Ashley Brown bunted them over, bringing leadoff hitter and four-year starter Miranda Martin to the plate.
“There was two outs and I fouled two pitches off,” Martin said. “I don’t think I’ve had that much pressure on myself in I don’t know how long.”
Martin’s ground ball to short was bobbled allowing her to beat the throw to first. In the meantime, her father and coach Tony Martin waived the second run home to put the Bobcats up 2-1. Martin retired the Rangers in the bottom of the seventh for the pitching win.
To a player, the Bobcats say the streak is secondary to the game at hand. But it’s tough to ignore a win streak that jumped to 81 with Richmond’s win against St. Dominic Academy on Thursday.
“It’s in the back of our minds,” senior Camryn Hurley said. “We have to take it game by game and we need to not think of that. It is getting pretty high and I think we’re proud of ourselves in how far we’ve come.”
Richmond’s streak could have hit 100 by now if not for a 4-2 loss to Penobscot Valley in the 2012 state title game. The Bobcats were unbeaten at 18-0 going prior to the loss. Martin’s older sister Leandra, who was on the mound for that game, is an assistant coach with team now.
Meranda pitched in three state championship wins and has never lost a game in a Richmond softball uniform. She hopes to be there for her fourth go-round and Richmond’s fifth straight title.
“I think we’re coming together very well,” Meranda said. “We have a lot of people that have stepped up this year and filled some important roles that we lost last year. We have great team chemistry and everyone gets along.”
Many of the athletes on the team enjoyed standout seasons in soccer and basketball, too. The soccer team went 13-1 in the regular season while the basketball team went 18-0.
“We’re really close-knit,” Hurley said. “We’re more of a family. We get excited to see each other. Since my junior year haven;t been able to play basketball and that’s something I miss. That’s something we grew up doing.”
Tony Martin welcomed back a strong team led by his daughter and power-hitting catcher Sydney Tilton. Eight players returned in all, but there were some holes to fill on the left side of the infield and in center field. The coach hoped to spot his daughter and Tilton in the infield when Meranda wasn’t on the mound but things have worked out better than expected.
Sophomore Caitlin Kendrick moved to shortstop, Hurley went from second to third and Lancaster took over at second.
“With Kelsea Anair at third last year and Kalah Patterson at shortstop that’s a big hole to fill on the left side,” Martin said. “And our center fielder was Autumn Acord. Mackenzie Abbott’s starting in center field and she’s quick. My shortstop this year, Katie Kendrick, she’s been amazing. Right now she’s playing wicked good defense and her bat’s real strong. Camryn Hurley … she’s doing well, too.”
Lancaster is playing her third sport as a freshman and knew her teammates when she showed up at tryouts.
“They’re really helpful and they’re welcoming and it’s been easy to jump right in,” she said. “I think our teams work well together. We have a good team chemistry and there’s no drama or anything and we pick each other up if someone is off.”
With the middle school playing a game on the high school field Wednesday, the Bobcats took batting practice at a new indoor facility.
“It’s been nice, “coach Martin said. “Our bats are starting to pick it up again.”
Although most of their games have resulted in lopsided wins, there’s a tough game ahead Tuesday at Buckfield (10-1), whose only loss came to Richmond. The Traip game provided a good wake-up call.
“I know it sounds bad but we were looking at the stats and we weren’t expecting such a close game,” Hurley said. “But it was almost really good for us. We need a challenge to get prepared for whatever’s coming next.”
The Bobcats will graduated eight seniors, including two foreign exchange students, marking a break in the continuity that has fueled the streak.
“I’m not sure what I have for eighth-graders coming in,” coach Martin said. “It’s going to be hard to keep up but I think with a lot of hard work the younger kids seeing what we have for a program we’re going to by OK.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
