After quick start, Titans fall to Lions

Matt Metcalf, Sports Editor
Posted 4/28/15

The Toll Gate softball team, who was looking for its first win on Saturday, got off to the start that it was looking for against Lincoln, racing out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings. …

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After quick start, Titans fall to Lions

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The Toll Gate softball team, who was looking for its first win on Saturday, got off to the start that it was looking for against Lincoln, racing out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings.

Unfortunately, the seemingly comfortable lead took a turn quickly, as the undefeated Lions put together a nine-run third inning, en route to a 17-4 win.

The crooked third inning was aided by eight hits, two hit batsmen and a series of unwarranted errors – an inning that cost the Titans the game.

“It was a combination of hits, errors – it was just a sloppy inning,” Toll Gate head coach Shana Willis said of the top of the third. “Those little mistakes continued to add up, and they need to be stopped. We’ve dealt with some injuries this season. We have girls in key roles that just haven’t been able to step on the field. The girls have to step up because they’re just as good.”

After Titans’ pitcher Courtney Marsh retired the Lions in the top of the first, Toll Gate’s bats went to work.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Breana Coleman doubled home Jamie Hopgood and Courtney Iadevaia.

Coleman then came around to score on a single by Delaney Dilibero, giving the Titans a 3-0 lead at the end of the first inning.

Toll Gate upped its lead to 4-0 in the second, when a Cassondra Messier single plated Katherine Niles.

Just like that, the Titans were off to an ideal start against one of the best teams in the league.

“It was a great start to the game,” Willis said. “It showed that we have the talent and have the ability. We have the potential and I told the girls that they have to take those first two innings as a guide for the future. They need to stay focused and stretch that out into a complete game.”

Then the wheels began to rapidly fall off.

An Adriana Toro triple scored two to cut the Lions’ deficit in half, before Toro and Stacy Mayer were plated on a single by Abby Majeau to make it 4-4.

A pair of errors also allowed two to score in the inning, while Cianna Dumas delivered the big blow with a double that scored three.

By the time the Titans were able to record the third out, they went from being up four runs to being in a five-run hole.

The lopsided inning was understandably deflating for Toll Gate, which wasn’t able to get anything going offensively after that point.

A big reason for that was Lincoln pitcher Isabella Diorio, who came on in relief to pick up the win, tossing 4.1 innings of scoreless ball, while striking out eight.

With Diorio stifling the Titans’ lineup, Lincoln continued to put up runs, scoring one in the fourth, two in the sixth and five in the seventh. The mercy rule eventually ended the game in the top of the seventh.

The loss dropped the Titans to 0-8, while the Lions improved to 4-0.

Although the Titans have put themselves in a big hole, there are plenty of games left, so Willis is trying to keep her team upbeat because everyone in the league will make the playoffs.

“We have a lot of potential, so we just need to continue to improve heading into the playoffs,” Willis said.

Toll Gate will be looking for its first win of the season on Wednesday, when it travels to Westerly for a 4 p.m. game.

“There’s a lot of season left,” Willis said.

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