Panthers score six unanswered runs to down Mounties

Johnston Sun Rise ·

Junior Madison Plouffe pitched a complete game and knocked in a run to help the Johnston Lady Panthers beat the second place Mount St. Charles Mounties, 6-4, on the road on Tuesday afternoon.

“It was a big team win,” Plouffe said. “It was one of the best games we’ve played. I didn’t really have many strikeouts, but that’s not really what it’s about. It was about letting them hit it and I trusted my defense.”

Johnston head coach Manny DaCosta echoed her statement.

“That was just a good defensive all-around team game,” DaCosta said. “Really, there was not one star or anything like that. It was well-balanced play all the way around for our whole team.”

Freshman Victoria Young started in the circle for Mount St. Charles and pitched four innings before being replaced by senior Taylor Newcomb.

In the bottom of the third inning, Mount St. Charles got the scoring started. Young and Emily Cournoyer led off with singles, and junior Riley Mulligan got on via a bunt to load the bases. Plouffe was able to induce back-to-back ground balls to the shortstop Jordan Moretti, who threw home twice and got both runners. Those putouts would prove valuable for Johnston. Afterwards, senior Marissa Santoro hit an RBI single to score Mulligan. Another run came home when Emily D’Abrosca, who was in a pickle between third base and home, scored during an error at the plate, giving Mount St. Charles a 2-0 lead. With runners at second and third, senior Sky O’Connell hit an RBI single to score two more runs, increasing the Mount St. Charles’ lead to 4-0.

Johnston would even it in the top of the fourth, however. Senior catcher Gianna Vizzacco hit a leadoff single and junior Katarina St. Angelo followed it with a base hit. Freshman Megan Philbrick pinch ran for Vizzacco, and sophomore Kelsey Scott hit a ground ball that brought her home and pulled the Panthers within 4-1. Then, Emily Raposo hit a single to center and took second base on a throw home. Samantha Febus walked next to load the bases for Plouffe. The junior knocked in another run to make it 4-2. With runners at second and third, Moretti hit a single to right field to score Febus, and seconds later, Plouffe trotted home after an error at home plate, tying the game at 4.

In the top of the sixth, the Panthers took the lead. Scott hit a leadoff single before DaCosta brought in freshman Jenni Aubin to pinch run. Then, Raposo reached on a ground ball to the shortstop to put runners at first and second. Johnston brought in freshman Madison Dannenfelser to pinch run for Raposo before Febus walked to load the bases. Subsequently, Plouffe launched a sacrifice fly to right to score Aubin, giving Johnston a 5-4 lead. Moretti would earn a walk afterward to reload the bases. Then, junior Lauren Civetti hit an RBI single to score Dannenfelser to increase the Johnston lead to 6-4.

Plouffe mowed down Mount St. Charles with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, and she would close it out in the seventh. The junior got the first hitter, Cournoyer, to fly out. Then, Young reached with a single before eventually stealing second. Junior MacKenzie Morin came in to pinch hit and drilled a single to right field to put runners at the corners with one down. Nevertheless, Plouffe buckled down and got D’Abrosca to fly out and senior Shea Kelliher to ground out to end the ball game.

“Maddie pitches great,” DaCosta said. “She throws a lot of strikes, keeps the ball in play and we make out. We play good defense behind it. It’s a very good win.”

With the win, Johnston improves to 7-3 in league play and clinches a playoff spot. Now, the team will try and secure some home field games.

Mount St. Charles drops to third place with a record of 9-3 after the loss.