BRISTOL — The No. 3 Otter Valley softball team entered its Division II semifinal in Bristol against No. 2 Mount Abraham riding a 12-game winning streak and carrying an impressive 15-3 record.

For three and a half innings the Otters traded blows with the Eagles, the last team to defeat them, 19-7, back on May 1 on the same field. The teams had traded blows early on, and in the top of the fourth inning OV sophomore Sophie Parker, the pitcher, homered, and then base hits by juniors Hannah Desabrais and Leann Thomas cut an Eagle advantage to 10-8.

But things took a turn in the bottom of the fourth. OV sophomore pitcher Sophie Parker struck out the first batter, but then walked leadoff hitter Leah Tierney. Still, Parker got the inning’s second out on a ground ball back to the mound.

SOPHOMORE PITCHER SOPHIE Parker had helped Otter Valley win 12 straight games coming into the, Wednesday, June 11, D-II semifinal at Mount Abe, but took the loss against the Eagles. Parker also homered in the game.
Independent photo/Steve James

Then it went south for OV. The next nine Eagle hitters reached base, eight of them scored. Four errors — contributed to the damage, and Parker uncharacteristically walked a couple more hitters.

Abba Parker reached on a bunt, Eagle Pitcher Gretchen Toy, Reagan LaFreniere and Nora Hurlburt poked RBI hits. Tierney bunted safely and scored a run, and Morgan Larocque beat out an infield hit to drive in the final run of the inning. The score was 18-8 with three innings to go, and the Eagles were on the way to a 21-12 victory that pushed their record to 12-3.

The victory also sent the Eagles into Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. matchup with No. 1 seed Lyndon (12-1-1) at Castleton University for the D-II title.

“That game’s going to be a challenge,” Eagle Coach Don McCormick said. “When we get to Castleton, those are hard games to win. I’m hoping our experience helps us out.”

OV Coach Kelly Trayah was disappointed the Otters couldn’t make the trip to Castleton, but happy they had such a memorable season.

“This team has accomplished a lot more than a lot of people thought they were going to,” Trayah said.

The coaches had slightly different explanations for the key factors in Wednesday’s game, but they both the Eagles made a lot of hard contact at the plate.

“We just hit the ball. We’re just a good hitting team,” McCormick said. “I’ve always felt really confident in our offense.”

McCormick did acknowledge this spring’s constant rain has taken a toll on the Eagles’ field, and both teams struggled on defense, more so the Otters, who finished with a half-dozen errors.

In fact that was the first thing Trayah said when asked what went wrong.

“Errors,” Trayah said. “You’ve got to play the ball, or it’s going to play you.”

Both teams scored a run in the first. Sophie Parker singled, stole second, moved up on a groundout and scored on Ady Humiston’s groundout. The Eagles equalized when Abba Parker singled, stole second and romped home on a Gen Forand base hit.

OTTER SENIOR CENTER fielder Randi Lancour ranged into left center to track down an Eagle fly ball during the Wednesday. June 11, D-II semifinal at Mount Abe.
Independent photo/Steve James

OV took a 4-1 lead in the top of the second on consecutive singles by Michelle Hendee, Kaylee Maloy and Lana Karnai, with an outfield misplay mixed in that allowed Karnai to reach third. From there she scored on a Randi Lancour groundout.

The Eagles answered with a four-run second. Lafreniere walked and Hurlburt doubled. Infield hits by Tierney and Abba Parker plated two runs, and a Gen Forand sacrifice fly combined with a throwing error made it 5-4.

The Otters took their last lead in the third, then Thomas and Hendee singled. After they moved up on a Toy wild pitch, Maloy drove in a run with a groundout, and Karnai doubled in another run to make it 6-5. The OV rally ended when Eagle center fielder Brooke Brody raced in to snatch a line drive and doubled a runner off second base.

EAGLE JUNIOR GRETCHEN Toy tossed a complete-game on Wednesday, June 11, over Otter Valley in the No. 2 Mount Abe softball team’s semifinal win over No. 3 Otter Valley, and she also homered.
Independent photo/Steve James

The Eagles then plated five runs in their half of the third to take the lead for good, in part by putting their speed to good use. Hurlburt and Tierney beat out infield hits to open the inning, and Larocque singled in a run. Parker bunted her way on to load the bases, and Forand and Toy ripped back to back singles to make it 10-6.

Parker’s homer and the Desabrais single cut the lead to two heading into the bottom of the fourth, but then the roof caved in on the Otters. They failed to score in the fifth, the first scoreless half inning of the game, and the Eagles added three runs in the bottom of the fifth on Toy’s two-run homer, which followed an error, and then two walks, a wild pitch, and a Tierney infield hit scored another run.

The Otters rallied for four runs in the sixth on a walk, a Humiston single, two errors, and a Karnai two-run single that created the final score.

Soon the Eagles were celebrating and the Otters and their large and supportive contingent of fans headed back to the Brandon-Pittsford area.

Both offenses put up big numbers.

For the Eagles, sparking the attack were Toy (five hits, including the homer, six RBIs), Hurlburt (double, two singles, RBI), Forand (three hits, five RBIs). Parker (four hits, RBI), and Tierney (four hits, two RBIs). Tierney also shone on defense by throwing out two baserunners from right field.

MOUNT ABE FRESHMAN Nora Hurlburt beats the throw to first during the Eagles’ Wednesday, June 11, D-II semifinal win over Otter Valley despite the stretch by OV sophomore first baseman Ady Humiston.
Independent photo/Steve James

Leading the way for OV were Parker (homer, triple, two singles), Karnai (double, singles, three RBIs) and Thomas (two hits, RBI).

Beyond the numbers, Trayah said chemistry played a big role in the Otters’ success this spring.

“Our seniors just said it out there (in the postgame meeting), ‘This is the first team that we all cared about each other,’” Trayah said. “And they really did. They played together all year long.”

Trayah and McCormick noted OV fielded a team with only two seniors, Maloy and Lancour. Both expect the Otters to be a factor in D-II for the foreseeable future.

“That’s a good young team right there,” McCormick said.