RallyNorth.net

Sanborn falls in title game

Saturday, June, 12 By Jeff Hamrick

PLYMOUTH NH — Four days after the Sanborn softball team defeated personal nemesis Campbell in the Class M state semifinals, the Indians ran into the classification’s bully yesterday afternoon.

Fourth-seeded Franklin rode a strong pitching performance by Jenn Dorval and won its fourth consecutive state title, edging third-seed Sanborn 2-1 at Plymouth State University.

“It’s so very disappointing,” said Sanborn senior Cara Carter. “We came here expecting to win.”

Dorval, who also earned the victory in last year’s title game, dominated the Sanborn lineup until the Indians (18-3) mounted a sixth inning rally. A rally that could’ve (and most thought should’ve) turned out better for the Indians.

With one out Marissa Moro hit a soft grounder to second and appeared to beat the throw of Ashley Corson but was called out by an umpire, who after Sanborn coach Dan Carbone protested, conferred with the home plate ump. The call, however, stood.

It haunted the Indians because Morgan Farmer then drew a two-out walk and stole second before scoring on a triple by Carter.

“You can’t take anything away from (Dorval),” Carbone said. “But we thought we had a base runner there.”

Carter was stranded at third when Dorval followed with one of her 14 strikeouts. Franklin’s senior right-hander also stranded Farmer on third after she hit a one-out, fourth-inning double and moved up on a ground out, once again ending the inning with a strikeout.

At one point Dorval, who did not pitch during a regular-season 10-9 defeat to Sanborn, struck out six consecutive Indians on only 21 pitches. For the game, Dorval threw 103 pitches — 72 for strikes — while allowing two hits, with two walks and one hit batter.

“It doesn’t get old,” she said about winning a title in each of her four seasons. “(Sanborn) is a great hitting team, and I knew they’d come out swinging. But his was the absolute perfect way to go out as a senior. I think it means more as a senior, to know you’ve never lost.

Franklin (18-2) got both of its runs in the fourth on a two-run double by Kate Laliberte. In a strange sequence, Laliberte’s bases-loaded double to right not only drove in two runs but also led to the final two outs of the inning when Laliberte almost overtook teammate Shauncie Dinkel near third base and was thrown out trying to get back to second before Dinkel was then nailed at the plate trying to score.

But with Dorval shutting down the Indians, the base-running blunder proved inconsequential.

“The reality won’t hit me until tomorrow,” Franklin coach Armand DuBois Jr. said. “We’ve been here the past four years and played 16 (tournament) games and haven’t lost. You think about all the things that could’ve happened and they didn’t. It’s been incredible.”