EASTON, Mass. - The Milford bus ran into traffic due to an accident and rather than taking the normal 45 minutes to get to Oliver Ames, the Hawks sat on the bus for more than 90 minutes.
The Hawks had a readymade excuse for being sluggish on a Sunday afternoon, the final day of April vacation, but instead they stormed off the bus and into the batter’s box and pounded out 25 hits against the team that they shared the Davenport title with last spring.
The top three hitters in the Milford lineup combined to go 12-16 and drive in 11 runs as the Hawks picked up a 17-5 road victory. It was the sixth straight win for Milford since an opening game loss to Mansfield and the third time this season that the Hawks have scored 13 or more runs.
“That lineup is brutal,” said OA coach Lindsey Allison. “It was up the middle, up the middle, up the middle. I mean…short of playing my second baseman behind second base it was tough to play.”
Senior catcher Taylor LeBrun said, “It’s a Sunday night on vacation; we wanted that win and we don’t want to share that title. We want it for ourselves.”
Oliver Ames led after the first inning. Milford scored in the top of the first with leadoff hitter Sydney Pounds starting the game with a double, moved to third on a bunt single by Emily Piergustavo and scored on a single by LeBrun. But, in the bottom of the first, the Tigers scored a pair of unearned runs after a pair of Milford errors with two outs.
The lead did not last long. After Sarah Struzek stuck out the leadoff hitter in the second, Megan Jacques doubled to left followed by Maddie Bonvino single and a walk to No. 9 hitter Jenny Levine to load the bases. Pounds walked to bring home the tying run and Piergustavo singled to center to drive in two more and make it 4-2.
Milford coach Steve DeVitto said, “Late in vacation week, we had two games earlier this week and a late afternoon game on the road against a rival -- it was very impressive how they came out today. They came out ready to go when we did BP before getting on the bus and it just continued here.”
The Hawks added another three runs in the fourth. LeBrun singled home Pounds and she would come around to score along with cleanup hitter Allie Piergustavo after a throw to the plate hit her in the helmet and bounced away. LeBrun, who went 4-5 and drove in four runs in the game, picked up an RBI in the fifth inning on a single that plated Emily Piergustavo and pushed the Milford lead to 8-2.
“We really work on our hitting at practice,” said LeBrun. “I’ve been getting hits here or there but today I just felt on today. I felt ready to go.”
DeVitto swapped his three and four hitters on Sunday in the hopes to find a spark for both and LeBrun and Piergustavo responded with a combined six hits. Piergustavo, a St. Bonaventure-commit also had a rocket to center in the first that was straight at the centerfielder. It was the response that the coach was hoping for.
He said, “[Taylor] was great today; she was awesome. They’re two of the best hitters around and it was good to see them swing the bats well today.”
In the bottom of the fifth, Oliver Ames got its offense going. Jamie Gottwald started the inning with a solo homer to center off Ali Atherton. After a pair of groundouts, Caroline Mahoney drew a walk and Jamie Morley doubled to right to put two in scoring position. Second baseman Liz Bullock came through with a big hit that drove in both to cut the lead in half at 8-5.
“We’ve been kind of struggling offensively, so I think they’re coming around and we’re finally finding the order that we’re looking for,” said Allison.
She continued, “It’s a goal of ours to stay mentally tough through seven [innings] and I really think they’re getting there…We’re asking people to step up and fill the roles that they’re being asked to fill and I think they’re doing a good job of that it’s just tough.”
After having the lead cut to just three, Milford had its best inning of the game. The Hawks sent 11 hitters to the plate and scored five runs to break the game wide open again. The first eight players that came up in the sixth reached base with Maggie Farrell, Levine, Pounds, and Emily Piergustavo all driving in runs.
“For a young team, that’s very important to bounce back like that and respond,” said DeVitto. “They responded very well and we said it all game that you can’t get complacent and you have to continue to score more because that’s a great team and they’re not going to go away.”
Allison, who has taken to calling pitches from the bench, commented, “I was a catcher and I know how to work a batter. On a couple I would find a weakness and I would go for it on the next at bat and they made the adjustment, which is what I want my kids to do.”
Milford added another four runs in the top of the seventh. Again it was the top of the order that provided the big hits with Pounds and both Piergustavos picking up RBIs as well as LeBrun, who drove in her fourth run on a sacrifice fly to center.
For the senior, it was a game that could provide a spark for the rest of the season, but after missing most of last spring with an injury LeBrun is happy just to be back in the batter’s box.
She said, “I just feel blessed to be back. I really missed it last year; it was hard for me. I got hurt in the fall and then I got hurt again in the spring. I was hurt for a long time and it feels amazing to be back.”
Milford (6-1) will try to continue its win streak on Monday at Stoughton. Oliver Ames (2-5) will try to snap a four-game skid on Monday at Foxboro.
Josh Perry can be contacted at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.