Big Inning Lifts Raptors Softball Over Bobcats

RHAM senior Hadley Marchand pitches at Bacon Academy during the Raptors 11-2 victory over the Bobcats on May 11.

An eight-run second inning sparked the RHAM High School softball team, leading to an 11-2 victory over Bacon Academy on May 11.

The win was the Raptors ninth this spring and snapped a four-game losing skid. 

After going three-up and three-down in the first inning, RHAM head coach Raymond Bell said the team settled in and began to deliver from the plate

“We adjusted a little bit better to the speed and sometimes it takes an at-bat to get used to it,” added Bell.  

Senior Linnea Carlson bookended the second-inning scoring party, crossing home plate for the first and eighth runs during the decisive frame.

Carlson connected on a short bloop to shallow right field to reach first base before Abigail Pace doubled, sending Carlson home.
Once the floodgates opened, the Raptors poured it on. 

Pace scored following a double from Mya Strumskas and Zoe Albert, Shannon McCarthy, Kristen Cieslowski, and Stella Boutilier each reached home before Carlson notched her second run.

Bell stressed the importance of the team getting hits early in the game, particularly coming off four straight losses where they scored a combined nine runs. 

“It was huge because this team has been struggling lately and because we’ve played some really strong opponents and our morale was a little down,” added Bell, whose team connected on a dozen hits in the game. “Getting eight runs in the second eased that anxiety a little bit.”

Senior standout Hadley Marchand pitched three scoreless innings, striking out four to earn win No. 9.

Bell said Marchand has maintained an even-keeled demeanor and a team-first attitude whether the team is struggling through a losing streak or controlling the game like they did against Bacon. 

Marchand, an Endicott College commit, expressed that the team spoke about putting the past four games behind them prior to the game against Bacon.

“We had lost a few games in a row and we were looking for redemption in this game,” stated Marchand, who was relieved after the team built a sizable lead.  

Junior Faith Chanski pitched three innings and sophomore Evelyn Lage was on the hill for the final inning, combining to face the final 19 batters.  

Bell stated that it’s nice to see his young arms getting experience, adding that it’s a luxury to have competition heading into next year. 

Marchand, who has been the team’s ace for the better part of the last three years, said she has enjoyed taking on more on a mentorship this spring and said it was “awesome” to see Chanski and Lage close out the game  

“I love seeing them excel,” added Marchard. “I’m tired; I’ve been pitching all week and I just try and help them as much as I can.”

With an eight-run lead, RHAM ended any doubt of a comeback by adding two more runs in the third inning as Cieslowski single to send home McCarthy and later scored following a hit from Ashley Perkins. 

Perkins, who had a team-high three hits, later made it 11-0 by stealing home in the fifth inning. 

Carlson, McCarthy, and Cieslowski each scored twice, while Cieslowski drove in a game-high three runs. 

The complete team effort was a welcome sign for Bell, who was not only happy that the team’s bats were connecting again, but also stated he was impressed with the team’s stellar defensive effort as the Raptors didn’t commit an error.     

  “We’ve been in a lot of close games lately that haven’t gone our way, so that was nice to see,” stated Bell. “In the tourney you have to make every play, so we really stress defense a lot. If you want to advance in one-run games, you have to play good defensively.” 
The night following the win over Bacon, the Raptors earned win No. 10 with a 13-2 victory over Manchester. 

Marchand pitched six solid innings and shined from the plate, driving in four runs on a pair of hits. 

Carlson scored three times on a trio of hits. 

Marchand and Carlson are Bell’s two captains on the field. 

Bell referred to Carlson as the team’s “emotional leader”, adding that she is “the spark plug” that keeps the Raptors going.
The Raptors are now preparing for the postseason with the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) tournament and the Class M state tourney starting latest his month.    

​Bell noted that confidence and consistency from the plate, combined with continuing to play mistake-free in the field, will be the key in the tournaments.