BRISTOL, Conn. – The comeback trail for Scarborough was an arduous one Friday in its first game at the Eastern Regional Little League softball tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds.

Scarborough trailed by four runs, forced extra innings, then fell 6-4 to Cumberland, R.I., on a two-run seventh inning.

Poll play will continue for Scarborough against Worcester, Mass., at 11 a.m. today.

Rhode Island’s first three batters hit safely and scored against starter Chloe Griffin. Aside from a line double by Juliane Ross leading off, the other two were infield hits.

Scarborough Manager Dave Littlefield felt the surface figured in the slow start, with a touch of opening-day anxiety.

“It might have been a little bit of nerves but I think it’s playing on a grass infield, something we’re not used to,” he said. “We play on a skin infield — all dirt — and we knew coming down here would be a different surface. We tried to prepare but I think it may have surprised the girls a little in the first inning. After that I thought they adjusted well.”

Grounders and the seven combined bunts the teams tried were also slowed by the wet grounds caused by rain that delayed the start by two hours.

The infield condition enabled Rhode Island to make it 4-0 in the second. With a runner on first and two outs, Emily D’Abrosca rolled a routine grounder to second that became a single in the wet grass.

Cumberland struck back in the home half. Abbie Murrell connected for the longest hit of the game, a triple to center.

When Hannah Ricker (2 for 3, 2 runs) followed with a bunt, catcher Kelly Brodeur tried to catch Murrell napping with a fake to first and toss to third. Murrell scored on an errant throw, as did Ricker a play later to cut the lead in half.

“It was like watching a mirror image of ourselves,” Rhode Island Manager Ken Jalbert said. “The Maine team was excellent on defense, had good hitting, and it was a great game to watch.”

Scarborough scored single runs in the fourth and fifth.

Singles by Ricker and Ashley Littlefield were followed by bunts by Laura Powell and Courtney Brochu. Brochu’s bunt squeezed Ricker home. Griffin’s single to right scored Lucy Bogdanovich to tie the game.

Rhode Island started the decisive rally with Ross’ infield hit. With the bases loaded and one out, Maddison Leite hit a grounder to third. The third baseman, trying to avoid hitting the runner, threw the ball wide and two runs scored.

The Scarborough defense turned in three strong plays, two that quelled a Rhode Island bid to break it open in the fifth.

D’Abrosca led off with a fly ball that appeared destined for the gap in left field, but center fielder Lindsey Kelley ran it down. Kelley also had two hits.

“At that point, that was the game,” Dave Littlefield said. “We would have never gone to extra innings without that catch.”

 

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