Northeastern takes division with walk-off win
Northeastern received some well-timed help in winning the Division II crown and a spot in the YAIAA tournament.
A Dover throwing error in the bottom of the eighth inning allowed the Bobcats to plate the tying and winning runs in a 6-5 softball victory Monday afternoon in Manchester.
The victory gives Northeastern the division title and a spot in the league tournament, where the Bobcats will play Division III champion Kennard-Dale (14-2) at 5 p.m. Tuesday at New Oxford.
"This was a tight game between two evenly-matched teams," Northeastern coach Dave Marsh said. "That it took extra innings for us to win it isn't surprising."
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Northeastern (11-9, 7-7 Division II) was behind 5-4 with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth when Madison Wrightstone smoked a line drive that was snared by Dover shortstop Cassandra Root. Root tried to double up Nicole Stone, who had taken off on contact, but Root's throw was off the mark and went out of play.
Stone and Ciara Coombes, who was on second base, both scored on the play to end it.
"Our plan was to try to put the ball in play there in the eighth," Marsh said. "Not to try to do too much and that's what we did."
Stone added, "We didn't give up when we fell behind. We've got a lot of seniors on the team and they're great leaders. We don't get down on ourselves when things don't go our way."
Dover (7-13, 6-8) trailed 4-1 into the top of the seventh before Root's RBI single and Alyssa Bowlsbey two-run hit tied it.
The Eagles grabbed the lead in the top of the eighth on Delp's fielder's choice that scored Lauren Miller.
Root then singled for her fourth hit of the game to right field. Unfortunately, Taylor Lamparter, who thought of trying to score on the play, twisted her right ankle while retreating to third base.
Lamparter, who pitched the first seven innings, was forced to leave the game due to injury and was replaced by Kaydee Krone.
"We had our opportunities to win the game today, but we didn't do it," Dover coach Terry Choate said. "This group is very young, but they battle. They've fought hard all season long."
The game was even in the fifth when Stone put the Bobcats in front with a three-run double to deep left-center.
"It's really exciting to get a big hit," she said. "I was able to barrel that one up and get it to the gap."