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Sports

King Philip Softball Advances to the State Championship Game

Warriors hold off Acton-Boxboro, 3-2, to move on.

Throughout the MIAA Division 1 South Tournament, King Philip has held the distinction of being the higher seed, and with that came the advantage of being the home team.

While the Warriors had the overall better record (KP was 24-0, while Acton Boxboro was 19-5), records don't matter in the Division 1 State Semi Final.

The Colonials won the coin toss, and were awarded the status of home team for the contest in Taunton, making the Warriors the visitor for the first time this postseason.

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When all was said and done, though, the results didn't change, and KP walked off Jack Tripp Field for the third and final time this season a winner. The Warriors advanced to the Division 1 State Finals Saturday in Worcester with a 3-2 victory.

Though the Warriors had what once seemed like a comfortable 3-0 lead, the game quickly became a one run contest with only one inning to play for the right to move on.

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Meg Rico had something of an off night in the pitching circle, but still managed to own the Division 1 North Champion for the majority of the evening.

"It was not my best, but what are you going to do? Everyone has tough games." Rico said. "I just had to pull it together."

As Acton-Boxboro stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning, Rico had a no-hitter going, retiring 11 Colonials on strikes while allowing three walks and a wild pitch.

Things, however, were about to change.

Maddie Hatch drew the fourth walk of the evening and, when Cayleigh McCarthy couldn't handle a Lindsay Gibbs hit into the hole, A-B quickly had the first two runners on. 

Jamay Li sacrificed the runners over before Sarah Ropiak produced the first Colonial hit, a RBI bloop over the head of McCarthy at first and just in front of right fielder Kelsey Gray.  

Stephanie Schieni followed with a RBI sacrifice that cut the Warriors lead to one.

Rico would bear down with the tying run standing on second, as she fanned Michelle Surdan to get out of the inning.  The Colonials would go down one-two-three in the seventh.

Olivia Godin got the Warriors going in the second inning with a double down the third base line with one out. Hailey Mullen would come in to run for the Warrior catcher, and would steal third. When Gibbs threw the ball into left field, Mullen would slide under the catcher's tag and give the visitors the early lead.

Rico helped her own cause with a single in the very next inning, and courtesy runner Briana Schaffer moved around the bases to score KP's second run on the evening. Jenn Robillard and Alyssa Siegmann would reach on hits before Carnase was hit on the hand with the bases loaded to chase Schaffer home.

Rico would add another hit in the seventh inning, batting from the right side of the plate.  While it is usually Coach Jim Leonard who decides how to use the switch hitter, it was Rico who wanted to swing the bat from the right side this evening.

"I don't know what changed my mind. I was frustrated hitting lefty, as my hits don't go as far," the KP pitcher said. "I'm not used to the right, but I had a feeling tonight I should be going righty, and it definitely worked."

In the top of the sixth, the Warriors would add an insurance run that would eventually turn out to be the game winner. With one out, Godin delivered her third hit on the evening. Mullen once again came in to run for the Warrior catcher. She took second on a passed ball and motored her way around to score on a Tori Constantin double to right-center.

Godin would conclude the evening going 3-3 with two doubles and a single, and her replacement on the base paths would score two runs.

"I've been feeling good and focusing more. The last few games I've wanted to see the ball better. I like faster pitching and saw the ball better tonight," Godin said. "I definitely saw those hits (the doubles down the third base line) all the way and had quicker hands than usual. Sarah's a really great pitcher, and I know that she likes to pitch inside a lot. I love inside pitching, so I went after it."

Throughout the night, Godin and Rico felt that the home plate umpire was squeezing them. Instead of throwing pitches they knew were not going to get called in their favor, the duo adjusted.

"That's the value of having a battery who does work so close together. Rico has so much trust in Olivia and you see that," Coach Leonard said. "It's unreasonable to ask a pitcher to go through the entire season and not lose that edge for a pitch or two."

For the second game in a row, Siegmann went 3-4 at the plate.

King Philip will now play the waiting game. Milford and Amherst will square off at UMASS on Thursday at 5:30pm to see who moves on to face the Warriors in the State Championship game.

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