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Softball playoffs: Portsmouth falls in D-2 championship game

PROVIDENCE — Apparently, all good things really must come to an end. At least that would be the opinion of the players on the Portsmouth High School softball team after they lost to East Greenwich 4-0 in the Division-Two state championship game Tuesday night at Rode Island College.

Avengers junior pitcher Mollie Anderson was nearly perfect in the title game, instead settling for a no-hitter. A leadoff walk to Amy Hamilton in the top of the fifth, a walk which ruined her perfect game, and another inning-starting free pass to Alison Hamilton in the seventh were the lone blemishes for Anderson.

“I thought she pitched well,” Portsmouth coach Tom Galib said. “She moved it around. It looked like to me we got under a couple. We hit some on the ground. We couldn’t seem to get anything quite going.”

Part of the reason was Portsmouth’s highly-charged victory over Middletown in the loser’s bracket final the previous night. The Patriots were high-fiving and cheering all during that game, something they didn’t do much of versus East Greenwich.

“I think we were a little emotionally drained from the game yesterday,” Portsmouth pitcher Kelly Beck said. “We definitely didn’t have the same intensity as we did yesterday. It definitely wasn’t our best game either.”

Truth be told there wasn’t much difference between the two squads. Anderson was effective with six strikeouts and her defense played errorless ball behind her. Beck allowed nine singles, didn’t strike out anyone and walked just one.

But Portsmouth, after making just one error against Middletown, reverted back to the Jekyll-and-Hyde defense it’s shown throughout the postseason. The Pats committed four errors which led to two unearned runs. Take those runs away and this game would have been a nail-biter.

Portsmouth also never had a chance to play against or see the Avengers in competition. East Greenwich, the top seed in the playoffs and winners of Division Two-Central, won all four of its postseason games and finished with a 19-2 record overall.

“We were unfamiliar with this team. I think, maybe if we see them again, or if we played them more than once things could have gone differently,” Beck said.

The Avengers scored their first run in their first at bat. Alex Place singled, stole second, was bunted to third and came home on Jackie DeFusco’s grounder to shortstop. The Avs upped their lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning on two singles, a walk, a wild pitch and two errors. The final run came the next inning on three singles and an error.

Softball Championship Bracket Set, Play Begins Wednesday ...

Annual SoCon Championship is set to start Wednesday at 10 a.m., with No. 8 Furman (17-33, 9-15 SoCon) taking on No. 9 Western Carolina (18-34, 3-21 SoCon) in a single elimination contest with the winner facing the 2011 regular season champion and No. 1-seeded Chattanooga (38-12, 20-3 SoCon) at approximately 2 p.m. that afternoon.  No. 4 College of Charleston (33-19, 12-11 SoCon) squares off with No. 5 Elon (29-22, 12-12 SoCon) at noon in game two.

The nightcap on the opening day will start at 5 p.m. as No. 2 Appalachian State (24-22, 15-7 SoCon) matches up against No. 7 Samford (13-38, 9-15 SoCon), followed by No. 3-seeded host Georgia Southern (28-27, 16-8 SoCon) taking on No. 6 UNCG (24-30, 10-14 SoCon) which is scheduled for 7 p.m.

After the opening single-elimination game, the rest of the championship is a double-elimination tournament. All game times are Eastern Standard and subject to change.  The winner of the Softball Championship will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA regional softball tournament.

The Lady Mocs finished the regular season 38-12 with a 20-3 mark in league play, claiming its fifth straight regular season title and 13 championship.

Defending tournament champion Elon finished the regular season 26-22 overall and 9-12 in conference play.  The Phoenix will face the Cougars in its first game, a team that Elon took two of three from earlier in the year in Charleston, S.C.

Tickets will be available for purchase on site.  All-session adult passes will be available for $30 while all-session youth passes (pre-kindergarten) will cost $15.  Single session passes will also be available for purchase and will cost $5 for adults and $3 for youths.  Groups of 10 or more will be available for $2 a person.  No credit cards will be accepted.  Only cash and checks made payable to "Southern Conference" will be taken at the gate.  Students at Southern Conference institutions get in free with a valid I.D.

All of the action will be available LIVE through SoConTV. Fans that are unable to attend will have the opportunity to view all of the games by logging on to SoConSports.com and subscribing to SoConTV. From the first pitch to the final out, every moment of the softball action will be available, including exclusive coach and student-athlete interviews and the final awards presentation. An archived version of the event will also be.

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