May 7, 2008
Cimino delivers game-winner in 10th
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In most cases, toughness would be considered an intangible quality of a softball player or a team. But there are cases in which the benefits of a player’s natural grit are considerably more obvious.
The innate toughness of Amity High’s Tori Cimino was clear early in the game and the benefit came in the end when she lined a game winning hit into left field in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 3-2 win over Mercy High in Woodbridge on Thursday.
Amity, ranked sixth in the state, improved to 12-1 with the win, 8-1 in the SCC. Mercy is 8-5.
“We earned our two early runs, but give Mercy credit for playing tough and staying in it,” said Amity coach Mike Scanlon. “Then we came up with the clutch hit to win it in the end.”
Amity started with a strong first inning from pitcher Lauren Bespuda despite two walks.
The defense helped her out with a nice double play when Cathy Tinker caught a line drive at her ankles and beat the runner back to the first base bag.
Bespuda finished the inning on her own with a swinging strikeout.
The Lady Spartans had a great chance to put some runs on the board in the first inning and they came through.
A hard pitch hit Cimino in the arm and impressively fought off the tears on her trot to first base and stayed in the game.
Avery Silverstein followed with a bunt single that showed her speed and Cimino scored two hitters later on a single by Tinker.
Jenna Casolino added an RBI single to give Amity a 2-0 lead before the bases were left loaded.
“We were one hit away from just breaking this game wide open in that first inning, but it turned out to be an interesting game,” Scanlon said.
Bespuda fought off a single in the second inning and a walk in the third to keep Mercy scoreless until the fourth inning.
While the Amity offense sputtered after the first inning, Mercy worked back into the game with runs in the fourth and fifth innings to tie things at 2-2.
Bespuda struggled with her control at times with 10 walks, but continued to come up with the outs when she needed them.
Mercy pitcher Jessica Rosa got into a spectacular rhythm by retiring 26 of 27 hitters from the second inning through the ninth inning.
The game stayed tied into those extra innings until the home team came up with the clutch at-bats it needed.
Pinch-hitter Lori Borelli put a ball in play to lead off the home half of the 10th and hustled down the line and was safe on a Mercy fielding error.
Amity had its winning run on base as Ronnie Pennick reentered to run for Borelli and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Kate Hoffman.
After Allie Baker hit a hard line drive into right field for an out, Cimino came up to bat in the big moment.
She laced a single down the line in left field to score Hoffman for the 3-2 win.
Bespuda opened the week with a no-hitter where she struck out 10 in Amity’s 3-0 victory over Lyman Hall. Tinker had a triple and drove in two runs in the sixth inning to break open the 1-0 game.
Casolino also tripled.
Abby Rosner took to the pitching circle against Shelton High and pitched a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts on Friday.
Bespuda had three hits and an RBI.
Erin Beaulieu, Vanessa Varsh and Allie Baker each had two hits and an RBI. Tinker drove in two runs.
Amity saw its seven game win streak snapped when Sheehan won a 1-0 decision on Monday.
The Lady Spartans (13-2, 5-2 Housy) will visit division-leading Cheshire (15-0, 7-0) today at 3:45.
Amity hosts North Haven at Old Tavern Road Monday at 7 p.m. and travels to Sacred Heart Academy Wednesday afternoon.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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