BANGOR, Maine — Brewer High School softball first baseman Jillian Ford said she and her Witch teammates wanted to get off to a good start in their game against Class A North archrival Bangor on Monday afternoon.
And the Witches did, scoring a pair of first-inning runs before stringing together six consecutive hits during a six-run second-inning rally en route to a 14-4 victory.
Brewer is now 3-2 while Bangor fell to 0-5.
The Witches pounded out 20 hits with 11 different players getting at least one hit.
“We knew we had to hop on them in our first at-bat and that’s exactly what we did,” said sophomore Ford, who had three singles.
“We had some struggles because the pitching was different than what we usually (face) but, in practice, we focus on fast pitching, slow pitching and any pitch. So we came ready today,” added Ford.
The game was tied 2-2 after one with a wild pitch and an Olivia Bragdon sacrifice fly producing the Brewer runs before Gabby Raymond answered with a two-run single for Bangor.
But the Witches erupted in the second inning.
Madi Shaw drew a one-out walk before Jordin Williams, Ford and Emma Jameson followed with singles; Paige Oakes and Olivia Bragdon belted back-to-back doubles and Sara Young singled off Bangor’s Taylor Clark.
The Rams also committed three errors in the inning.
Gabby Goding’s RBI double to the fence and Taylor Clark’s run-scoring bunt in the third pulled Bangor within 8-4 but the Rams wouldn’t score again off starter and winner Sara Young, who went the distance to earn the win.
Brewer built its lead to 12-4 in the fourth inning with five straight hits off reliever Annabelle Pierce, who threw a variety of off-speed pitches.
Bragdon and Young began the rally with one-out singles and Olivia Gilmore singled home Bragdon.
Taylor Grant ripped a two-run double to right center and Shaw singled home Grant.
Shaw and Williams each had a double and joined Ford with three hits on the day.
Oakes and Bragdon each doubled and singled and Young had a pair of base hits.
“I was really proud how the girls hit the ball today,” said Brewer coach Skip Estes. “Everything we hit was hard. And what I liked about it is we kept switching second base with a double after a double.
“Their two pitchers were different but we were able to adjust,” Estes added. “We had a lot of hits.”
Junior right fielder Bragdon said the team stayed focused in the dugout.
“We supported each other and gave each other a lot of advice (on hitting and the pitchers’ tendencies),” said Bragdon.
Sophomore Young allowed eight hits and four runs (three earned) over seven innings. She struck out six, walked two and hit a batter.
Bangor didn’t have any repeat hitters, and Goding’s double was the only extra base hit off Young.
Bangor coach Sophia Sciarappa said Brewer is a “good hitting team” but liked the progress her team is making.
“They’re getting better every game. They’re having better quality at-bats, they’re making more plays in the field, they’re being smarter on the bases, they’re producing more,” said Sciarappa. “They’re really good at seeing the bigger picture: focusing on getting better on every pitch, every play and every game.”
Both teams will return to action on Wednesday.
Bangor will travel to Topsham to take on 0-6 Mt. Ararat of Topsham at 4:15 while Brewer will entertain 2-3 Brunswick at 4:30.
