Amherst Regional shuts out Agawam to win third softball title in four years
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AMHERST - Simone Frank did everything she could to win her third Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament championship Monday.
The Amherst Regional senior scored the game-winning run, had a pair of doubles, made numerous standout plays defensively and even joined teammate Emma Ayres in singing the national anthem during the pregame as the Hurricanes defeated Agawam 2-0 in the WMass final at the UMass Softball Complex.
"She sort of epitomizes what we want to see in our student-athletes," Amherst coach Kacey Schmitt said. "She is there for you and your teammates every day. It never fails."
Frank, who has played third base at Amherst for four straight years, was a freshman starter on the Hurricanes' title team in 2008 and earned titles in 2010 and 2011. The lone carryover from that 2008 team, Frank has enjoyed an 86-6 record, including 65-3 over the last three years.
Winning a third title "is so great. Each year is different with a different group of girls," Frank said. "Every single time has been an amazing group of girls, especially this year with all the seniors on the team. It's really great to come out and win it this year."
Frank, who is a cocaptain along with classmates Quianna Diaz-Patterson and Emma Mendoker, helped her No. 1 Hurricanes (22-1) switch roles with the No. 2 Brownies (18-5) by taking the lead first.
Scoring first "was huge. We emphasized that in practice - jump on them early, shake them early," said Frank, whose team trailed in both of the regular season games against Agawam, with each team winning once. "We all had a feeling with the way the other two games had gone, that we were going to come out and jump on them this game and that would make the difference."
Frank drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first inning and took second on a wild pitch. She then scored when Zoe Dillon-Davidson's grounder caused a high throw to first for a 1-0 lead. Mendoker then singled up the middle, moving Dillon-Davidson to third.
Ayres later sliced a two-out single down the right-field line to score Dillon-Davidson, which turned out to be the final run of the game.
"We've let them jump on us first the last two games and it was really important that we jump out first," Schmitt said. "They are going to make you pay if you squander chances. And we did squander a few, but we were able to take advantage of that first inning."
The win marked the 10th WMass title for Amherst, which also won championships in 1978, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2008 and 2010. The team will play in the state semifinals against central Mass. champion Milford (22-1) back at UMass on Thursday at 4 p.m.
After falling to the Scarlet Hawks 1-0 in eight innings last year, the Hurricanes are eyeing their first trip to a state title game since 1994. Their only state title came in 1978.
In Monday's game, Mendoker took the 2-0 first-inning lead and cruised with it early. She retired the first six batters of the game - five by strikeout - and faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings, thanks to some tremendous defense behind her.
First came a heads-up play to erase Agawam's first baserunner in the third inning. Brittany Discher beat out a bunt single to lead off the frame and took second on a Samantha Butt sacrifice bunt. Jess Colson's then popped out to Mendoker on the mound and Discher was caught way off base and fell down as she tried to retreat. No one was covering second, but Ayres, the first baseman, beat Discher to the bag and caught the throw to double her off and end the inning.
"With Emma (Mendoker), we always know that we have a chance, but a good team is going to put the ball in play," Schmitt said. "It was important to play good defense behind her and not give them any cheap runs. I was really proud of everyone top-to-bottom. There were so many great, heads-up plays. All those hours out in the freezing cold in the wind and rain pay off on days like this."
Frank then robbed Discher of another bunt single when she laid out with a dive toward the plate to catch the ball to leadoff the sixth.
Agawam's best chance came in the seventh, when Maurissa Ollari singled up the middle. Reilly Wieners then hit a grounder up the middle, which second baseman Helene Flittie gloved on a dive, forcing Ollari to stop at second with one out.
"In my mind, I have to strike (the next two batters) out," Mendoker said. "I have to make the spins spin faster, make it move more. I was pumped up. I love pressure."
Mendoker then fanned cleanup hitter Rebecca Fondakowski and Jessica Uschman to end the game.
"I almost couldn't watch" the last two batters, Schmitt said. "My heart was pounding. I was thinking 'How does Emma do this?' She has to hit all of her spots with runners on first and second and terrific hitters at the plate. It's extremely nerve-wracking. It speaks to their composure and together as a team that they don't crack under that pressure."
Mendoker finished with nine strikeouts and no walks while allowing four hits. The state Gatorade Player of the Year enters Thursday's game with 980 career strikeouts.
"I mentally remember each person and where they hit it," Mendoker said. "It was helpful to play two games against them before this one. I had a better idea of where their weak spots were."
Jim Pignatiello can be reached at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com.
