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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
The Walpole High School varsity softball team is off to a ferocious start to the 2018 season, currently sitting at 8-1 on the year and 5-1 in Bay State Conference play.
This past week, the Lady-Rebels took home a pair of W’s while playing a back-to-back set against Natick and Medfield.
Following a 12-4 victory at Natick on Thursday, Walpole’s bats stayed scorching hot during Friday’s tilt with Medfield, plating 11 runs in just six innings against one of the TVL’s top teams to emerge with an 11-1 victory via slaughter rule.
Kathryn Wilmot got the start for the Lady-Rebs on Friday and pitched an absolute gem (six innings, six hits, one earned, four strikeouts). Wilmot recorded a 1-2-3 top of the first, as did Medfield during the bottom half. The game entered the second inning still scoreless.
Molly Glasheen doubled home a run to draw first blood for Medfield with one out in the bottom of the first after Wilmot surrendered an infield hit. However, the Walpole ace settled down and got out of a first-and-third one out jam by recording a pop-out to first and a groundout back to the mound to limit the damage to just a single run.
Wilmot drew a walk to begin the bottom of the second, followed by a fielder’s choice to put a runner on with one away. A line drive off the runner at first off the bat of Jill White gave Medfield two outs before a groundout back to the mound ended the inning.
Medfield put a runner at first with one out in the top of the third inning before a double into the left-center field gap. However, the Rebels were able to nail the runner at third for the second out of the inning before Wilmot recorded a groundout to first to get out of the top half unscathed.
The Walpole bats came alive in the bottom of the third inning as Katherine Leacoma wore a pitch on the arm to begin the frame. Leacoma stole second on the first pitching of the ensuing at-bat to Ashley King, who on the second pitch launched a double to right-center field to plate Leacoma and tie the game at one. McKenzie Rae then ripped a single to drive in King as the go-ahead run before a double to left-center by Wilmot gave the Rebels a 3-1 lead at the end of three full.
Wilmot recorded a pair of groundouts and a strikeout to get the Rebels out of the fourth. Jacquelyn Mulcahy singled to begin the home half of the fourth for the Rebels and came around to score via a sacrifice fly by Kiera McInerney, as the Rebels carried a three-run lead into the fifth.
Wilmot sent the Warriors down in order in the top of the fifth inning via a groundout and a pair of pop-ups to second but the Rebels left a pair of runners stranded at first and second with one out in the bottom half after a fielder’s choice and a strikeout ended the inning.
It appeared that Medfield was going to put together a rally in the top of the sixth when Rachel Kornet ripped a double down the third baseline to begin the inning. A single to center field by Laura Clifford put runners at first and third with no outs for the Warriors. Wilmot then recorded a fly-out to center field and Mckenzie Rae gunned down the runner at the plate attempting to tag to make it two outs in the inning. Wilmot then struck out the next batter she faced and again, the Rebels got out of a significant jam without any damage.
Following the big defensive play by Rae, all of the momentum swung in Walpole’s favor. Madison Morano led off the bottom of the sixth for Walpole with an infield hit and advanced to second on a wild throw before stealing third. Leacoma singled home Morano following a long eight-pitch at-bat to make it a 5-1 game before McInerney smacked a triple down the right field line to plate Leacoma and extend the lead to 6-1. Samantha Kearns pinch-ran for McInerney and came in to score on a wild pitch to make it a 7-1 game with no outs in the inning. King drew a walk and stole a pair of bases before Rae flied to right to score King and make it 8-1. Wilmot drew a walk, followed by an infield hit by Eva Keyes. With two outs in the inning, Mulcahy ripped a walk-off, inside-the-park home run into the right-center field gap to give the Rebels an 11-1 lead and a walk-off victory via slaughter rule.
At the time of print, Walpole will look to stay hot when the Rebels host Newton North on May 9 before traveling to Braintree on May 11.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
