The Tiverton softball team pounded Davies 11-3 and 8-4 in a best of three series to win the Division III state championship at RIC on Saturday and Sunday.

“It was fast and furious with a couple of long days thrown in, but overall it was a great week,” said Head Coach Josh Mello. “It was kind of a perfect storm as the season came together.”

“We get together before the game and the girls would say Tigers on three. The girls started saying ‘family’ instead of Tigers and they they started playing together and rallying around each other,” coach Mello said. “The chemistry was there and I knew if they started to come together and work hard we could accomplish our goal and win the state championship.”

Tiverton got to the championship last year and lost in two games to Scituate. This year was a different story.

The Tigers played four games in five days on their way to the championship. The freshmen and sophomore laden team got strong pitching and clobbered their opponents.

On Wednesday they opened the playoffs with a 15-8 win over central. On Thursday they traveled to Block Island and blanked them 12-0.

“I had to take the day off from work and the team got to take the day off from school,” said coach Mello. “We had to buy the tickets. Get all of the gear and kids onto the ferry. Pack lunches. It was like a field trip. The sea was calm, so we had a good ride over. I was lucky a lot of parents came with us.”

Three hitter, sophomore Jaimi Vaillancourt led the team offensively clouting 4 hits, including two triples, and 10 RBI in the four playoff games.

She had ‘Big Papi’ type hits. She’s the best pure hitter in my lineup,” said coach Mello.

Freshman shortstop Mackenzie Kiley had 8 hits and 4 RBI and also contributed with her glove with 13 playoff putouts.

“Mackenzie isn’t afraid to get dirty. She has the quickest hands of all of the players that I have coached. She’s an all out softball player,” said coach Mello.

Sophomore Emma Franklin pitched the the first six innings of the Central game, giving up 8 runs. Sophomore Margeaux Souza came in and shut Central down in the seventh. After seeing Souza pitch, coach Mello decided that he was going to make a change for the rest of the playoffs.

“A lot of it had to do with Emma’s ability in the outfield. She has a really good glove,” he said, adding. “The pitching spot is big in softball. Margeaux was hitting her spots against Central. The team started to gravitate toward her. Her gamesmanship and attitude in the playoffs were awesome.”

With Margeaux on the mound, The team allowed just 7 runs in three game.

“Against Davies tough lineup, We wanted to jam their hitters with Margeaux’s screwball and mix in her fastball or drop ball, low and away, to freeze them,” coach Mello said.

“It was awesome to see the girls come together as a team, coach Mello said. “The team showed up and executed. They played as hard as they could and were at their best when it mattered. I love these kids. We accomplished our goal.”

Tigers notes:

Franklin was a star in centerfield for the Tigers in the championship series.

“She made two unbelievable catches, preventing Davies from tying or overtaking the game,” said coach Mello.

In the Fifth inning of game one against Davies with the score 3-1 and runners on second and third, Right fielder Maree Feld dove for a ball hit to the gap.

“I could tell that she wasn’t going to get there,” said coach Mello.

Franklin put on a burst of speed and side stepped Feld and caught the ball in stride.

“I couldn’t believe that she covered that amount of ground to get to the ball. If she doesn’t get there, they tie the game,” said coach Mello.

In the same inning, Franklin also made a shoestring catch while running in for a ball hit to shallow centerfield.

“She has a lot of speed. She makes it look easier than it was,” he said.

Freshman Mikayla Andrews was a vacuum at third base. “She made six plays at third base. She was just solid. If it was hit to her, you knew that she was going to make the play,” coach Mello said.

She showed her mettle when tweaked her hip flexor late in game two. She got checked and went out to take her position at third base.

“She’s as tough as nails. When there were tears in her eyes, I knew it really hurt,” said coach Mello.

In game two with a runner on third, Davies cut the lead to 8-4 and took out sophomore catcher Ella Schneider.

“The runner lowered her shoulder and ran into Ella at the plate,” said coach Mello.

They rushed in and were concerned about their teammate, he said. “Instead of saying anything disparaging to the other team on what could have been conceived as a dirty play,” he said.

Sophomore Giovanna Mattera was the unsung hero of game one against Davies.

With the Tigers down 2-0 in the 4th inning,

Vaillancourt led off the inning with a walk. Feld hit a single to left, Souza hit a bases clearing triple to make the score 2-2.

“Giavanna was struggling and because game was tight, I gave her the bunt sign. She laid a beautiful bunt down the third base side scoring Margeaux to give us the lead,” he said.