DIGHTON — A well-rounded offensive strategy helped Dighton-Rehoboth softball secure a 7-4 nonleague win against Dartmouth.
The Falcons scored points in the first five innings to take a solid lead, and a determined relief performance from Edy Latour prevented Dartmouth from taking the lead. The win propelled Dighton-Rehoboth to a 3-0 start to the season, and head coach Katie Holmes stated that a strong offseason and a team led by eight seniors has instilled confidence in the team.
“The girls have high expectations for themselves,” Holmes said. “We are performing really well at the beginning of the season. Maintaining that consistency is crucial.”
Dighton-Rehoboth scored the first two runs, getting one in each inning. However, Dartmouth fought back, scoring two runs in the top of the third, leveling the score.
This occurred after Dartmouth drew multiple walks, and consecutive singles from Hannah Garcia and Kali Pomfret brought in the runners. Kylie Hillier stopped the damage at that point, and her teammates quickly regained the lead.
“Hillier is returning from an injury, and that was her first appearance this year,” Holmes said. “To have her come in at that moment, I couldn't have asked for more.”
Subsequently, Latour and Ally Bastiss drew early walks in the bottom of the inning, and Izzy Moss delivered a crucial RBI double. A walk of Hillier led to Caleigh Cloonan driving in two more after hitting into an error, making the score 5-2.
At this point, Latour entered the game and started a four-inning streak to finish the game. This came just a day after she guided the Falcons to a 9-1 victory over Middleboro, the defending Div. 3 state champion.
Latour mentioned that entering as a reliever was a different experience, but she quickly adapted to the role.
“I felt confident in my pitching abilities,” Latour said. “I was a little nervous because I hadn't pitched in relief yet this year, but I think I did pretty well.”
Camryn Cloonan then hit a deep home run to left field to lead off the bottom of the inning, attributing it to her aggressive approach heading into the at-bat.
“I was going after the ball,” Cloonan said. “We needed some runs; we needed some insurance. We needed something to get it going, and I was up first.”
The Falcons added another run in the fifth, and Dartmouth added two in the fifth as well. However, that concluded the scoring as Latour closed it out to secure the win.
“We’ve put in a lot of work in the offseason, and it feels like everything has come together,” Cloonan said. “We have a strong upper class and are working hard as a team.”
