It couldn’t have been scripted any better, as King Philip grabbed a 1-0 win over Mansfield to claim stake to yet another Hockomock League Championship.
The Warriors were able to capitalize on a Mansfield error in the second inning to score the game’s only run. With one out, KP pitcher Meg Rico helped her own cause, lashing a double down the left field line. Hailey Mullen then came into the game to run for the Warrior ace, who is now 11-0 on the season.
Right fielder Kelsey Gray tried to lay down a bunt that went up instead of down. Mansfield pitcher Trish Hanson charged off the mound to make the catch, but in her haste to double up Mullen, she threw the ball into center field. Mullen came around to score the run.
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“We played awesome on defense today, except for one play,” Mansfield Head Coach Jinnenne Sperrazza said. “Trish is a phenomenal player who will do whatever you ask of her.”
The win gives the Warriors the Rex-Kelley Division title of the Hockomock League. KP is now 14-0 overall and 11-0 in the league, while Mansfield drops to 12-2 (8-2 in the league). Both Mansfield loses coming against the Warriors — when the two teams met in Mansfield in the third game of the season, KP won 3-1.
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“It was a different game back then. The wind was blowing out to center field, and they were able to make more contact,” said KP Coach Jim Leonard said. “Rico is the gold standard, and today she stayed composed and didn’t let anything affect her.”
Following the second inning tally, the Warriors threatened again in the third, as Jen Robillard reached on an infield hit. KP’s Alyssa Siegmann put down a sacrifice bunt and Robillard motored her way to third, as Mansfield took the out without paying much attention to the runner. However, the KP shortstop was caught leaning just a little too far, and Hornet catcher Kelly English gunned her down from behind the plate.
King Philip would get its fourth and final hit off the bat of Olivia Godin in the fourth inning. Hanson would then set down the final eight batters she faced on the afternoon.
While Hanson was getting the work down for the Hornets rather quietly, Rico was putting on a pitching clinic for the Warriors. The senior right hander allowed only two hits, walked four and fanned 15 Mansfield batters (raising her season strikeout total to 161).
Mansfield’s Bri Chiusano opened the game with a single and stole second base, and it looked as though the Hornets might have something in the works. Following a Hanson pop out to the pitcher, English reached via a walk. Rico then retired the next 12 batters (10 on strikeouts, including four in a row at one point) before a Jess Cooney base hit in the fifth. Over the final two and two thirds innings, Rico would allow no hits and three base on balls. All three runners would advance to second, but that’s as far as they would get.
In addition to the double by Rico and Robillard’s single, the Warriors only other hits were back-to-back singles by Meg Carnase and Anna Kelley in the first inning.
KP will host Coyle Cassidy on Friday before traveling to North Attleboro (Monday, May 16) and Avon (Thursday, May 19). Mansfield will be at Milton on Saturday before hosting Franklin on Tuesday and Attleboro on Wednesday.