The Mt. Hope softball team, after winning five straight, lost two of their three games this week, to fall to 10-3 in Division II, 10-4 overall. The Huskies who have lost in the finals each of the last two seasons, are currently in third place behind first place East Greenwich who sports a record of 13-1 and Ponaganset who is in second, with a record of 11-3. It would help the Huskies’ playoff situation if they were able to win their final two games of the regular season, at North Smithfield on Monday and at home against Barrington on Wednesday. The games will certainly affect their playoff spot as fourth place Woonsocket at 10-4 is also in the mix. 

The Huskies fall to Woonsocket in heartbreaker. 

Huskies’ ace Reily Amaral pitched well in the loss, striking out 16 and allowing 6 hits with a homer and 5 walks in 8 innings of work. She helped her own cause, by belting a double in the second inning. Kylie Rolando, pinch running for Amaral, scored from second base on a hit by Julia Allen to give Mt. Hope a 1-0 lead.

Woonsocket’s Dakota Owen smashed a two-run homer off Amaral in the top of the third inning to give the Villa Novans a 2-1 lead. They scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Amanda Almonte walked then stole second and third before coming home on a single by Kiya Beauchemin. 

Mt. Hope down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, battled back to even the score to force extra innings. With one out, Anna VanAmberg doubled up the middle. Sydney Crowell the Huskies three hitter crushed an 0-2 pitch over the right field fence for a two-run homer. The home team briefly celebrated, but couldn’t muster another run. 

In the eighth, Aje’ana Coleman walked and scored on a double by Willianeys Cruz to give Woonsocket a 4-3 lead. 

Sammy Malafronte walked and Julia Allen singled to give Mt. Hope runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but stranded them there. 

Huskies clobber Toll Gate 20-8

In an away game on Wednesday, the Huskies brought their bats and clobbered Toll Gate 20-8. 

The Mt. Hope offense broke out for 26 hits and drove in 18 runs in the seven inning game. The meat of the order, Crowell, Ava Waddell and Amaral bashed 12 hits and drove in 11 runs. Waddell, the freshman cleanup hitter belted 5 hits drove in 3 runs and scored 3 runs. Crowell, Malafronte and Hailey Ferreira each had 4 hits, Amaral and Elsa White each had 3 hits, Allen had 2 and Sofia Haberman added 1. White tripled and scored 5 runs. 

Amaral struck out 12 in the seven inning effort, but allowed 18 hits, a homer, 3 walks and 8 runs.

Mt. Hope led 4-1 after the first inning. The Huskies scored 5 in the fourth, 2 in the fifth, 4 in the sixth and 5 in the seventh. 

Huskies lose at Ponagaset 8-3

Ponaganset shortstop Maia Salvo smashed a two run homer of Amaral in the second inning to give the Chieftains a 2-0 lead. Ponaganset scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before breaking the game open and scoring 4 runs in the sixth. Amaral struck out 8 and allowed 14 hits and a walk in six innings of work. 

Hailey Ferreira smashed a triple to right field and scored on a ground out by Allen, to cut the Chieftains lead to 3-1 in the top of the fifth. The Huskies scored two more runs in the sixth. Van Amberg doubled to left field and scored on a two-out triple to right field by Amaral.  Amaral scampered home on a single by Malafronte to cut the lead to 4-3. Ponaganset scored 4 runs in the bottom of the inning to take an 8-3 lead. 

Next up: 

Mt. Hope hosts Barrington on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in their last regular season game before playoffs.