EASTHAMPTON — Bases loaded, one out and a two-run lead with a chance to clinch the league title.

There’s no one the Easthampton softball team would rather have on the mound than freshman Rachel Robinson.

“We have a lot of confidence in her,” classmate Monica Rosa said. “She never lets us down.”

Robinson had the ball in the circle against Sabis on Monday at Nonotuck Park. She’d just hit Maddie Wyszynski with a pitch to load the bases in the top of the seventh inning. It was her second hit batter of the inning.

“I usually tend to rush my pitches sometimes,” Robinson said. “I’m trying to slow down, make sure it doesn’t go by the catcher and pitch my hardest because it is nerve-wracking.”

During a seventh-inning timeout, she told Easthampton coach Homar Gomez that she couldn’t throw a strike today.

“When I called time and talked to her I told her to believe in herself,” he said.

Robinson struck out the next two batters to clinch a 9-7 victory and an outright Bi-County West championship. It’s Easthampton’s second straight league title.

“I’m happy for the girls,” Gomez said. “This is for them.”

Robinson (nine strikeouts) gave Easthampton a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning when she hit a line drive to left field. Sabis’ left fielder couldn’t handle the ball as Olivia Downer and Michelle McDermott scored.

“I wasn’t really aiming for the fences, I was just hoping to get a hold of it,” Robinson said.

Easthampton (14-3, 10-1 Bi-County West) came back from a 3-1 deficit in the fourth inning. Sophia DeBlase had an RBI ground out then Charlotte Banigan-White hit an RBI single.

The 5-3 lead didn’t stay for long.

Sabis picked up four runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 7-5 lead.

“I got a little nervous at first, but I knew in the end we were going to come back,” Robinson said.

Banigan-White started the bottom of the sixth with a single, then moved to second and third on passed balls. Rosa walked, then Samantha Sypek was hit by a pitch.

A wild pitch brought Banigan-White home and cut Sabis’ lead to one. Another one tied the game at 7 when Rosa scored.

“Everyone just kept pushing,” Rosa said. “I don’t think we gave up at all.”

Sypek scored the winning run on a wild pitch during Downer’s at bat.

“For the past month we’ve practiced being aggressive in all aspects,” Gomez said. “Today we can see the practice working.”

Downer was hit by a pitch, then Michelle McDermott was hit.

Sabis changed pitchers from Jada Ficarra to Jayden Dow. She got Sierra Raskevitz to pop out to left then hit Robinson with a pitch.

Downer scored on a passed ball to give Easthampton a 9-7 lead going to the seventh.

Robinson worked around traffic for the entire seventh inning but didn’t allow a run.

“I told them you’re going to make errors, you’re going to strike out, you have to keep fighting, and they did,” Gomez said. “That’s the best thing that they do.”

Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com.

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