Amherst Regional will meet a familiar team for state softball title
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AMHERST - The current scenario was believable enough for Amherst Regional softball coach Kacey Schmitt that she almost didn't want to scrimmage King Philip of Wrentham in the preseason.
Now the teams will play for the state Division 1 title Saturday at 7 p.m. at Worcester State College.
"Absolutely, it was in all of our minds," Schmitt said after her team defeated Milford 3-0 on Thursday to reach the state championship for the first time since 1994. "We came into the season with the goal of making it to the state final. You don't want to get ahead of yourself, so you don't want to vocalize that too much when you've got so many games to play, but they knew that was an attainable goal."
Considering Amherst's goals and King Philip's role as defending state champion, Schmitt weighed the positives and negatives.
"I was actually a little concerned about playing them because I don't like to play somebody we might be playing in a big game," she said. " I don't want them to see what we've got. But at the same time, then we got to see what they've got."
The matchup was competitive and, in the end, Schmitt thought it was beneficial to her Hurricanes.
"I think we got a lot of confidence playing them," she said. "They are an outstanding team, but we had runners on base and I think it was 1-0. We played four innings and we realized that we were right there with them. It was good for them to see that it's not like (University of) Florida or something."
The Warriors (25-0) are led by junior pitcher Megan Rico, who has already committed to play at Division I George Washington when she graduates. She was considered a strong candidate for the state Gatorade Player of the Year award, which went to Amherst (23-1) pitcher Emma Mendoker.
"I don't really remember (Rico) that well" from the scrimmage, said Amherst senior shortstop Quianna Diaz-Patterson, who signed with the University of Massachusetts and will be an eventual Atlantic 10 rival with Rico. "I remember that she was a good pitcher. Because it was before the season, it was hard to really know the potential for either team. But it was a really good game and it was 1-0. We hope to switch that score this time."
Schmitt said it was only fitting for such a special group of seniors to end their impressive careers in the state title game.
"They are just by far one of the hardest working, most committed groups that I've certainly ever had and probably that any coach in western Mass. or the state has had," Schmitt said.
She added that as key as their talent and work ethic has been to their success, the team's feeling of family and togetherness has been huge.
"One of the X-factors for us is also their commitment to each other, how much they care about each other," Schmitt said. "They pick each other up when someone is having a rough game, and I don't think all the teams do that all the time. Sometimes, that's the thing that will get you through a close game. They don't get down on each other or themselves because everyone is supporting them.
"Obviously, we have the talent with a terrific lineup and super athletic kids, but they are also kids who just have fun playing together."
Mendoker enters the game with 992 career strikeouts and has allowed one run in 28 postseason innings this year.
"I know some of the players on the (King Philip) team," Mendoker said. "Hopefully, I'll rely on my knowledge for that. I know we will play our hearts out and see what happens."
The championship game will mark the finale for Amherst seniors Simone Frank, Catie Childress, Emma Ayres, Zoe Dillon-Davidson, Mendoker and Diaz-Patterson.
Frank, a four-year starter at third base, has won three western Mass. titles and is 87-6 overall in her career. The group as a whole has gone 66-3 in three years together.
Now it has a chance to do something no WMass Division 1 team has done since 1978 - win a state title. That year's Amherst team beat Canton 10-8 in eight innings and stands as the lone WMass D-1 state champ. The Hurricanes also reached the title game in 1992, 1993 and 1994, but lost to superpower Bishop Fenwick of Peabody all three times.
"Win or lose, I think we are all proud to get there," Diaz-Patterson said. "That was our goal, to get to states this year. It would be really, really nice to win and we are hoping to win the game, but just being there is a great accomplishment for us. We are all very happy to be ending our careers in high school at the state championship."
Jim Pignatiello can be reached at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com.
