Tigers marred in playoff dogfight
Tiverton leads Rogers 6-5 in winner's bracket final after play was suspended due to rain
Photos and story by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.
Posted 6/1/26
The Tiverton girls' softball team had been slugging their way through the Division-3 playoffs, but are currently marred in a dogfight with rival Rogers during the D-3 winner’s bracket final that …
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Tigers marred in playoff dogfight
Tiverton leads Rogers 6-5 in winner's bracket final after play was suspended due to rain
Brooke Sowa connects for a run scoring single during the Tiger's 15-0 win over Cranston East/Lincoln on Thursday.
Carlie Martin blasts a solo homer in the first inning in the Tigers 13-0 win over Classical on Tuesday.
Lilliana Luis runs in to catch a popped-up bunt during the Tiger's win over Classical.
Tiverton pitcher Lia Doster rears back to make a pitch during the Tiger's 15-0 win over Cranston East/Lincoln on Thursday.
Lilly Luis (left), Brooke Sowa and teammates wait for Carly Martin at home plate after she homered during the Classical win.
Teammates celebrate with Carly Martin after she homered during the Classical game.
Posted
The Tiverton girls' softball team had been slugging their way through the Division-3 playoffs, but are currently marred in a dogfight with rival Rogers during the D-3 winner’s bracket final that started at 8:30 p.m. at Rhode Island College on a stormy Sunday night. The Tigers held a slim 6-5 lead after three innings before the game was called due to heavy rainfall at 9:40 p.m.
“They should have never made us start that game,” said Tigers head coach Mike Brigham. “Several of my players slipped in the outfield. My pitcher, Lily, was struggling to hold the ball. She had to dry it before every pitch. ’m just relieved that there were no injuries.”
Coach Brigham and Rogers head coach Shea Milburn pleaded with officials to postpone the game, but their complaints fell on deaf ears, he said.
“It was drizzling, but everyone has a cellphone with radar. We knew what was coming,” he said.
Rogers took an early 4-0 lead in the first inning and led 5-3 after two innings. Coach Brigham replaced senior pitcher Lia Doster after her tough first inning and replaced her with Lilliana Luis, who struck out 4 and yielded one hit, two walks and one run in two innings.
Sowa singles and scores
Brooke Sowa singled and scored on Sara Poland’s hit to cut the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the first. Lucy Stearns walked and Morgan DiManno singled to reach base in the second inning. Both came around to score when Poland smashed a grounder to shortstop and it clanged off the shortstop’s glove into left field. The play was ruled an error.
Luis struck out the side to in the top of the third to give the Tigers vaunted offense a chance to make a comeback.
Tigers' triples give Tiverton the lead
Lilliana Luis belted a triple to center field to lead off the bottom of the third. Kelsey Conway walked to give the Tigers a pair of runners on base. DiManno stepped to the plate and bashed a triple to centerfield, plating both runners to knot the game 5-5. She came around to score on a ground out by Abby Gilfillen and the Tigers to give Tiverton a 6-5 lead.
The rain picked up and the umps gathered and suspended play for the night. The two teams will resume play on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at RIC.
Division champs slug their way through the first two rounds
Tiverton, the Division champs, received a bye in the first round. The Tigers then thumped Classical 13-0 in four innings during a home winner’s bracket quarterfinal game on Tuesday and clobbered Cranston East/Lincoln co-op 15-0 in three innings during the home semifinal game on Thursday. Tiverton slugged nine hits and drove in 11 runs against Classical, including homers by Carly Martin and Doster and doubles by Luis and Gilfillin. The Tigers smashed 15 hits in their victory over Cranston East/Lincoln.
Doster pitched seven scoreless innings total in the two shortened games and struck out six and walked three.
