Softball Celebrates Senior Day On Monday, Loses 24-23 On Tuesday

Photography by David Creed

The bond between softball head coach Chris Maury and his seniors is a special one. It is one Maury says he values heavily and it is clear his players feel the same way.
While the Whalers came up short today against the Sturgis East Storm 7-4, Nantucket celebrated their senior day following the game.
“I try to coach these kids like they are my own and I tell them that,” Maury said. “You have to realize with my own when they screw up or they aren’t doing well they are going to hear about it. These kids are going to hear about it too. I’m not going to tell you you are doing the right thing when you are doing the wrong thing. I think they respect me for that and I respect them when they respond. It is a good group of kids.”
“Put all the softball aside, this group has been a good class, good athletes, good students. They have been community minded and gotten into good schools and they are going to go out and they are going to do some great things. I have no doubt about it.”
As for the game itself, Nantucket jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning after the first two innings saw very solid pitching and fielding dominate the game.
Senior shortstop Raegen Perry got it going and worked a 10+ pitch count that eventually led to her getting on base with a single. She was the game’s first run after senior pitcher Maclaine Willett and senior first baseman Jenn Calles reached base on errors. Senior outfielder Caroline Correia’s two-RBI single brought Willett and Calles home.
But the storm stormed right back and got three of their own in the top of the fourth. Nantucket answered with a run in the fourth and carried that lead into the bottom of the seventh.
With the Storm down to their final out, they came through with an RBI single to make it 4-4. Nantucket failed to knock in a runner they had on third base in the bottom half of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
The Storm scored three times in the eighth to make it 7-4 and ultimately walk away with the victory.
The Whalers needed to win all three of their remaining games in order to make the state tournament, but lost to the Nauset Warriors 24-23 on Tuesday to eliminate themselves from contention.

Nantucket took an early 9-0 lead, but eventually fell behind 21-11.

"A lot of hits, a lot of errors," Maury said.

But Maury said his team didn't back down. They scored 12 unanswered runs to make it a 23-21 game in the top of the seventh, forcing the Warriors to find a way to come up with at least two runs to extend the game into extra innings.

The Warriors were able to do that and more, scoring three times to take a 24-23 win and ruin the Whaler's aspirations of playing some state tournament baseball.

"Nauset hit well and we just made too many mistakes to hold leads," Maury said.

Senior shortstop Raegen Perry went 6-for-7 with four singles, one double, and one triple. She scored four times. Senior third baseman Quincy Sullivan went 3-for-4 with two singles, one double, two walks, and scored four times. Sophomore Addys Del Rosa went 4-for-6 with four singles and three runs scored.

"Very proud of the fact that we did not quit and made the best comeback effort I have seen on the softball field," Maury said. "The girls were visibly disappointed and upset. They wanted that playoff opportunity."

The Whalers still have games to play and will be in action on Thursday when they travel to Barnstable to take on the Red Hawks at 4 p.m.