Revenge! MAU softball bests Essex to move on to state finals

BENNINGTON — Mount Anthony softball got off to a rough start in their state semifinal game against Essex on Tuesday evening, but showed remarkable composure and pulled out a 5-3 win at home.

The Patriots got the monkey off their back after being bounced from the playoffs by the Hornets each of the last two years – a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in the 2021 semifinals when the Patriots were the top seed, and a more decisive 25-12 loss in last year's quarterfinals.

That was all before Abby Foster, though. The freshman hurler went all seven innings, surrendering just two earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out two.

"Abby's done a great job preparing herself to be in this position and she's a really composed kid. She's all business and really proud of her for coming out and playing the way she did," said MAU co-coach Brooke Remington. "Abby's the type of kid that's just cool, calm and collected."

The Patriots needed every bit of that composure out of Foster, as things couldn't have started much worse in the top of the first. A walk, a single and an error had the bases loaded, nobody out, and cleanup hitter and pitcher Maisie Baker at the dish.

Then Foster buckled down. Baker grounded to first to bring home one run, but that's all the Hornets would get.

After fielding a grounder her way, third baseman Grace Kobelia made a heads up play to cut down a runner at home after for the second out. Foster got Lucia Minadeo to pop out to first, and she was out of the jam with minimal damage.

"(Abby) knows that her teammates have her back, and they throw down for her every game, every play," said Remington. "So she feels confident in them and they feel confident in her."

The bottom of the first wasn't an auspicious beginning for the Patriot bats, either. Baker struck out the side in order to open the game. The Patriots’ patient approach at the plate paid dividends in the second, though. Madisyn Crossman led off the inning drawing a seven-pitch walk. Then Taylor Grogan singled to right, and an error allowed her to reach second.

With ducks on the pond, Kobelia came through again. She cracked a ball over the center fielder's head that scored both runners and gave the Patriots a lead they wouldn't give up.

The Patriots added to the lead in the third when Caedence Bartholdi punched a single through the left side of the infield to score Allee George and Mia Paligo, making it 4-1.

Foster pitched out of a jam in the third, as well. After retiring the first two batters, Essex first baseman Gabrielle Spanguolo-Chawla doubled to center. Foster would spoil the two-out rally, but Baker made her work for it with a 10-pitch battle. Baker's grounder on the right side looked bound for the outfield, but a diving stop and throw to first from one knee by second baseman Paligo preserved the lead and ended the inning.

The Hornets would put together some two-out offense when the order turned over in the fifth. Three straight hits, including a ground-rule double to center by Trinity Anaya, cut the lead to 4-3. Baker came to the plate again, and sent a bloop behind second base that looked like trouble. Paligo made another big defensive play, running the ball down to end the inning. The Patriots added an insurance marker in the fifth, and Foster wasn't about to let any more drama unfold, retiring the final six Hornets’ batters.

Second baseman Mia Paligo throws to first from her knee after a diving stop to end the third inning.

"Our team is a really talented bunch. And these girls have been playing together for a long time," said co-coach Katie Contrada following the game. "They’re ballers. They come out to play. We’re confident in our girls, and they’re confident in themselves, so I think that it's just another day on the field for them."

"Yeah, it was a total team win today. Everybody was just ready to go," added Remington. "They’ve worked hard for this moment. No matter where we put them, any situation, they were ready to do what they had to do for their team."

The Patriots move on to the championship game this Saturday, which will be played at Castleton University, time and opponent still to be determined.

Tory Rich can be reached at [email protected]

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