Wright's Walk-Off Single Lifts Hoosac Valley Past Lenox

ADAMS, Mass. – After giving up a five-run lead in the top of the seventh inning on Monday afternoon, the Hoosac Valley softball team regrouped in a big way.

 

The Hurricanes got key contributions from the bottom of their order and a clutch walkoff single from leadoff hitter Gracelyn Wright to earn an 11-10 win over Lenox at Russell Field.

 

“We all made sure we came together and talked about it, and we figured out what we can do and what we can change in ourselves,” Wright said after ending the game with a single up the middle to bring home Ashlyn Lamke. “We talked about it, and it worked out.”

 

Wright also earned the win in the circle, striking out eight and allowing five earned runs.

 

Lenox scored five unearned runs on three Hoosac Valley errors in the top of the seventh to erase a 10-5 deficit.

 

“You’ve just got to do it,” Hoosac Valley coach Mike Ameen said of his message to the squad after the disappointing frame on defense. “That’s what I told them: You’ve just got to go out there and play.

 

“You’ve got to go out there and have energy and enthusiasm and finish the game.”

 

Wright went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead Hoosac Valley’s offense. The Hurricanes also got a pair of hits apiece from Lamke, Izabella Tart and Alayna Shears.

 

Tart doubled in a run, and Hannah Lord hit a two-run double in a 12-hit Hoosac Valley attack.

 

Lenox’s Grace Julieano had a huge day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and six runs batted in.

 

Her sister Evelyn was one of three Millionaires with two hits and threw three innings of relief, giving up one earned run. Amber Arseneau and Cassidy Flynn each had a pair of hits for Lenox.

 

Flynn, a seventh-grader, also got the start in the circle for Lenox, lasting into the fourth inning.

 

“It’s just huge for her, it’s huge for her confidence, too,” Lenox co-coach Maggie Rivers said. “I think we gave her like five hours’ notice that she was going to be doing this, and she totally stepped up.

 

“She took one off the shin, and she was like, ‘I’m good.’ And I’m like, ‘Are you sure?’ But she’s so tough, and I hope she gains some momentum from this as well.”

 

It was a game of momentum swings all afternoon.

 

The Millionaires scored one run in the first when Flynn drew a bases-loaded walk. Hoosac Valley answered right away with an RBI double from Tart to drive in Genevieve Lagess, making it 1-1.

 

Hoosac took its first lead at 3-1 in the bottom of the second when Wright drove in a pair of runs with a double to left-center.

 

But Lenox answered in the fourth. Lilly MacDonald reached on an infield single, and Grace Julieano crushed a two-out homer to center field to tie the game, 3-3.

 

In the bottom of the inning, Hoosac went back ahead with a three-run rally highlighted by Trinity Brackett’s two-run single. Ella Bissaillon’s sacrifice fly made it 6-3, Hurricanes.

 

Lenox then got two more runs back with a two-run double from Julieano in the top of the fifth.

 

But Lenox scored four times in the bottom of the frame thanks to back-to-back doubles from Rachael Wnuk and Lord, the latter ending the day in the circle for Flynn.

 

Lamke’s RBI single to right gave Hoosac Valley a 10-5 lead with six outs to go for the win.

 

Wright then sat down the Millionaires in order in the top of the sixth.

 

But in the seventh, Lenox’s Ava Johnston and Sara Isby worked back-to-back walks to start the tying rally, which included a two-run ground-rule double from Grace Julieano and three Hoosac Valley miscues.

 

Rivers was happy with the resiliency her team showed in continuing to battle back in the game.

 

“We tied it up twice, with that big home run from Grace and then that five-run rally,” she said. “We just fought the whole time, and I’m super proud of them. Up on the bench cheering. Just a good day of softball.”

 

Evelyn Julieano got the first batter to start the bottom of the seventh.

 

Hoosac Valley No. 8 hitter Lamke then worked a walk and stole second base. Brackett laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her into scoring position, and Wright ended the game with the walk-off single.

 

It was the most significant run of the young season for the Hurricanes (3-0), who have scored a lot of runs, finishing in double figures in each of their first three games.

 

“Bunch of sophomores playing their hearts out, and I think the sky is the limit for this team if we can just get outside and play some games and get through some of the mistakes,” Ameen said.

 

“Everyone knows that, to learn, you’ve got to make mistakes. Young kids don’t like to make mistakes. So I teach them how to fail, because you’ve got to be able to fail properly or you won’t be successful.”

 

The Hurricanes Thursday are scheduled to host Drury. Lenox (0-2) plays its first home game on Tuesday against Amherst-Pelham.

 

Photos from this game here.