Varsity softball extends win streak by shutting down Westbrook

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School’s varsity softball team showed they remain strong as the season approaches its halfway point. The Lady Eagles crushed Westbrook with a 10-0 win on Monday, May 6 at home. Junior Kennedy Kimball was in the circle for Windham and struck out 14 over six innings. She threw 57 strikes of her 76 pitches.

Windham sophomore Lacie Higgins slides into home plate
during a varsity softball game against Westbrook on 
Monday, May 6 at Windham High School.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“We didn’t completely know Westbrook,” said Kimball. “We figured our way throughout the game. Stella [Jarvais] did a great job calling behind the plate, figuring it out from batter to batter and it felt really good today. We all did a great job making adjustments at the plate; we didn’t all have the same at-bat ... we did good getting runs across and did really good base-running today. We were all really aggressive; we didn’t have our best at-bats today; we were a little out in front of it – we all know we need to pay more attention and get our pitch, work a little deeper in counts to get our pitch.”

Kimball sent the first three batters back to the dugout in the first inning. Then, senior Brooke Gerry walked. A fly out and a ground out brought Gerry across home plate. Kimball hit a grounder and reached first base on an error. Sophomore Oakley walked, as did sophomore Nola Bryant. After sophomore Lacie Higgins walked, pinch-runner junior Dakota Small scored. McLeod scored on a wild pitch and Windham led 3-0 after one inning.

Kimball, along with Lady Eagle defense didn’t give Westbrook many opportunities to get on base.

Gerry walked again in the bottom of the second inning, then sophomore Addison Caiazzo walked. Junior Stella Jarvais grounded into a fielder’s choice, but Gerry scored.

In the bottom of the third inning, McLeod hit a homerun to left field. Higgins singled, as did junior Chloe Edwards. Higgins scored on a wild pitch, then Edwards did the same.

“It felt pretty good [to hit that homerun], said McLeod. “As a team we had pretty good energy. We just want to do our thing, not press in the box. We had very good energy, we were putting the bat on the ball, we had good defense and pitching/catching.”

Keeping the energy up, despite a big lead, is something McLeod said they need to work on.

In the bottom of the sixth, Windham led 8-0. Senior Jaydn Kimball singled. Junior Lydia Marden walked. Freshman Evelyn Anderson walked. Small walked and pinch runner Bryant scored. Gerry grounded into a fielder’s choice and Marden scored.

“[Windham] comes here every day with a focus, with a set, with a goal and that is one run at a time,” said WHS varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner. “I think we really do a good job at accomplishing that. I see them being able to make those adjustments when they are up to bat – or at their next at-bat – timing up the pitcher, that’s big moving forward for us as we see the second half of our season. Top to bottom it was a really good team win; I would have liked to see more base hits, but that’s just me being picky. Kennedy threw awesome; I thought her fastball had a little more movement on it, she’s got enough speed on it to control a game. I still think the adjustments [need work]. One through nine, we’re a really fast lineup, so if we can put the ball in play, we have a chance to put a runner on.”

Windham (9-0) defeated Portland, 15-0, on Tuesday, May 7 to remain unbeaten on the season. <