A slow start for the Sachem East softball team gave way to some midgame magic, and an especially strong showing by Kristen Bagley, to put the Flaming Arrows back on target for a 7-3 romp over Ward Melville at home Monday afternoon.
Bagley, reserved but proud of her work at the plate, said clearing her mind allowed her to stay on task.
"It was slow at the beginning," said Bagley, who started in the outfield and went 3-for-3 at-bat. "But once we started hitting, everyone jumped on."
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After the Patriots had grabbed two unearned runs off wild pitches in the top two innings, lead batter Samantha Smith (2-for-4) dented the lead with a center-field drive for a one-run double in the third. But the fourth inning was when East's batters answered back the loudest, loading the bases off of consecutive singles by Deanna Wolf, Kellie Zeitler and Jessica Caruano (2-for-3). East kept reloading straight through an amazing five-run rally – Lindsey Treanor walked and sent Wolf home for the tying run, Bagley and Jessica Catarano (2-for-4) each followed with one-run singles and capped by a two-run single from Samantha Laird (2-for-4).
Bagley tacked on a one-run double in the fifth to end scoring for East. Defensively, Treanor pitched the entire game, striking out nine batters and surrendering only two walks.
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The win shored up the team's playoff berth (13-4 in League I), but Forman cautioned that despite having turned it on later on, a flatter entrance was cause for concern, particularly against a team East had beat by a 9-1 margin last month.
"This was our second time around, and the girls have to understand that the teams not in the playoffs have nothing to lose," he said, adding that the upcoming game at hard-hitting William Floyd will likely present some challenges for Treanor. "We need to get a good berth."
East will travel to Floyd Tuesday for a 4 p.m. game.
