BLUE DEVILS 6, COUGARS 0: Epping softball captures first state title in 20 years

PLYMOUTH — Belle Snyder stood behind the pitching circle and took a deep breath.

The sophomore right-hander was one strike away from delivering a softball championship to Epping High School for the second time in program history.

Snyder blew a fastball past Emmah Nolan for the third out, threw her glove down and ran toward her batterymate, catcher Laura Duguie, as the top-seeded Blue Devils blanked No. 6 Derryfield, 6-0, in Saturday’s Division IV state championship at Chase Field on the campus of Plymouth State University.

“I was just looking for that last out,” a beaming Snyder said shortly after the post-game awards ceremony. “I really wanted this. This feels like one of my best games that I’ve pitched this season. This was fun and this means everything to us. We worked so hard this season, we came hard and we’re super excited. This is awesome.”

It was Epping’s first softball state championship since beating Hopkinton 9-1 in 1998 for the Class M crown. Epping finished the season on a 16-game win streak and ended with an 18-1 record.

And this could be the start of an extended run, with almost every spot in the lineup occupied by an underclassman.

“The girls played well,” said seven-year Epping coach Gabe Mosca. “I couldn’t have asked them for a better result. They put forth a lot of hard work, a lot of 6 a.m. batting sessions before school, a lot of Sunday mornings in the batting cage in the gym. I am just so glad their hard work has been rewarded. We’ve been on a steady climb — 3-13 three years ago, then 8-8 and 14-3 last year. We didn’t have expectations (of winning a state title) this year, but that certainly was our goal.”

It was Epping’s third win over Derryfield this season.

“They were just the better team today,” Derryfield coach Dan Nolan said. “They made the right plays at the right time and capitalized. My team played their hearts out. We are young and to make it this far is sort of amazing. Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way.”

Snyder allowed just three hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out 12, including the side in both the second and fifth innings. She struck out four consecutive batters on two occasions, at one point fanning five in a row and six of seven batters bridging the first and third innings.

“We knew it was going to be hard game,” Snyder said. “Derryfield is a really good team. Once we got the bats going, our momentum carried us. It was a fun game."

Snyder allowed singles in the third, fourth and sixth innings, and only one Derryfield runner reached second base.

“I never take (Snyder) for granted,” Mosca said. “She’s just so steady, she fields her position well. It’s really rare to see a 16 year old as composed as she is."

Derryfield senior right-hander Emily Moll matched Snyder for the first three innings. However, the Blue Devils broke through on the scoreboard.

Snyder led off the fourth with a sharp single just under the glove of Nolan, the Derryfield second baseman. Snyder stole second on the next pitch and scored on Jenna Lavoie’s stand-up triple to the right-field fence. Lavoie also had a two-out hit to right field in the second inning.

“(Lavoie) is such a good softball player,” Mosca said. “Yeah, she’s our No. 7 hitter, but that’s only because the six girls in front of her are also pretty good. She hits the ball all over the place, she’s awesome.”

The Blue Devils got some breathing room with three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth.

Abby Walsh’s RBI sacrifice fly to left scored Duguie, giving Epping a 2-0 lead.

Snyder put down a bunt down the third-base line, but Anna Welch’s throw pulled first baseman Taylor Santosuosso off the bag. Becky Millbury, who singled to right, broke for third on the throw to first and scored on an overthrow.

Millbury scored on Sarah Parenteau’s ground out to third base, giving Epping a 4-0 lead.

“We weren’t super comfortable up 1-0 (or even 2-0),” Mosca said. “Weird things happen in softball, and I was a little more aggressive on the bases than we normally are and that’s due (to Moll). She’s a great pitcher.”

Erika MacLeod started Epping’s two-run sixth with a sharp single up the middle. Two outs later, Millbury doubled to the fence in left-center, scoring MacLeod. Walsh followed with an RBI single to left, plating Millbury.

Lavoie, Snyder and MacLeod all had two hits for Epping, while Millbury and Walsh both had one.

“Not losing feels better than winning,” Mosca laughed. “You know what? This feels pretty good, and it will feel good the day after, and then some day in January when it’s cold and snowy, we’ll get together and map out a plan for next season."