The second-seeded Snaps (8-5) moved into the winners bracket of the double-elimination Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Softball League playoffs with a convincing 18-7 win over the third-seeded Mama’s Girls (5-8), Tuesday night at MVRHS.
The Mamas started the game with three straight singles off the bats of Lauren Williston, Emily Rasmussen, and Caroline Davey and took a 1-0 lead but the Snaps brought six runs across in the home half of the second and never relinquished the lead.
Kelly Marolf led off and singled to light the fuse for Team Green in the second. Seven more Snaps reached base and six—Marolf, Emily Monteiro, Sue Brooks, Kurstin Moore, Jackie Millard, and Ashley Stites—scored.
Up 10-5 starting the bottom of the fifth, the Snaps scored seven more runs to put the game out of reach. Elissa Decosta hit a lead-off double, Amy Maciel singled and Kelly Marolf roped a double off the fence in center field to score Decosta. Emily Monteiro followed with a two-run single, Sue Brooks singled to make it 14-5, Kara Thibodeau batted in another run, Kurstin Moore got her third hit and second RBI of the game, and her sister Jackie Millard doubled to bring in her sister and complete a three-hit, four-RBI night. Lauren Merry scored the final Snaps run in the sixth.
All told, every Snaps player contributed on the scoresheet. Nicole Le Blond finished with two hits and a run scored, Hailee McCarthy hit a pair of singles, and Kate Hennigan scored as a pinch runner.
For the Mamas, Caroline Davey and Martha Scheffer each had two hits and two RBIs; Jamie Forend collected three hits and scored a run; Jillian Sedlier and Hayley Panek hit two singles and scored one run apiece; Cana Courtney had two hits and an RBI; Mel Balboni hit an RBI-single in the seventh inning; and Jess Mattis went 2 for 4 with a run scored.
The playoffs continue on Thursday at MVRHS with an elimination game between the defending champion Creamers and the Mama’s Girls at 6:15 pm. The Rug Sox meet the Snaps on Tuesday night at Veterans Park, also at 6:15.
