WESTHAMPTON – An anticipated pitcher’s duel between Hampshire Regional’s Joss Mettey and Amesbury’s Isabelle Levasseur turned into a wild, high-scoring affair between the two softball teams in the MIAA Division 4 quarterfinals on Saturday. 

With a trip to the Final Four on the line, No. 2 Hampshire and No. 7 Amesbury combined for 18 runs, but it was the Raiders that got redemption after an early exit last season.

The home team walked away with an 11-7 win and a ticket to the semifinals against No. 3 Clinton. The time and place of that semifinal game was still to be determined at press time.

Hampshire head coach Brian McGan had just one word after first baseman Teagan Charles snagged a line drive for the third and final out of the game: “Yeehaw.” 

“It’s nice to get (to the semifinals). Like I said, every time you play it gets tougher and tougher,” McGan added. “That’s been proven again today. Our bats were phenomenal. We just never quit, never stayed down.” 

The Raiders had to show their resiliency early when Amesbury, the defending Div. 4 state champions, went up 2-0 in the first inning. Their first and third batters picked up singles before they were driven in on a double from Alexis Leblanc. That lead was extended to 3-0 when Hampshire went scoreless in the first inning and Rose Franey smacked a solo home run in the top of the second.

“I think we have a lot of grit and determination and we really, really wanted this one today,” Hampshire senior Emma Czarniecki said. “And it showed – we just put our heads down and got to work even when we were down.”

While Hampshire’s veteran players stayed steady all game, two of the players who stepped up when the club needed it most were two of the younger members of the team – eighth grade twins Reagan and Ryanne Dubay. 

Reagan Dubay got the team on the board in the bottom of the second inning. After Charles and Czarniecki both reached, Dubay blasted a hit to right-center field, driving in both of her teammates to make it a 3-2 game. 

The Raiders held Amesbury off the board in the third and took the lead for the first time in the game in the bottom of the frame. Ashley Cortis drew a walk to start the inning, stole second and made it home on a Mettey hit to tie the game 3-3. Pinch runner Kalin Dubay stole second and then sprinted home after a Charles double to make it 4-3 Hampshire. 

Amesbury got three runs right back in the top of the fourth, putting Hampshire on its heels yet again. The nerves started to creep back in for the home squad as the defending champs refused to go away, especially the younger players who were newer to the big stage. 

“Half my infield is young, so we’ve got to try to keep them in the game as much as you can. I knew they were getting nervous, I could see it in their faces… the younger ones more, as the tension got a little tighter,” McGan said. “But those are the two (Ryanne and Reagan) that really came through… so I don’t think the moment got to them then.” 

After her sister Reagan got Hampshire going in the second, Ryanne Dubay stepped up in a huge fifth inning for Hampshire. Mettey got the team going with a double and pinch runner Kalin Dubay scored again when CC Thayer drove her around. Czarniecki got on second via an error to give the Raiders runners on second and third, and with two outs, Ryanne Dubay stepped to the plate and delivered. The eighth-grader ripped off a double that brought Thayer and Czarniecki home, heaving a huge sign of relief once she got to second before celebrating and yelling to her teammates in the dugout.

With Hampshire up 8-6, Amesbury took a mound visit to try and slow the momentum, but it was too late. Still with two outs, the next five Hampshire batters recorded hits, as the Raiders scored three more runs to make it an 11-6 game.

Amesbury scored one more run, but couldn’t get past a rock solid defense led by center fielder Cortis and third baseman Hailey Wodecki.

“It feels amazing,” Czarniecki said on advancing to the semifinals. “We’ve worked really hard all year, and we're not done yet.”

Hannah Bevis can be reached at hbevis@g azettenet.com. Follow her on Twitter @Hannah_Bevis1.]]>