Tigers win second straight D-3 championship
Tiverton beats Rogers 5-2, wins the D-3 title
Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.
Posted 6/8/26
The Tiverton girls' softball team are Division-3 champs for the second straight year, after beating rival Rogers 5-2 in the division championship at Rhode Island College on Sunday afternoon. The 21-2 …
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Tigers win second straight D-3 championship
Tiverton beats Rogers 5-2, wins the D-3 title
Brooke Sowa (middle) jumps and celebrates with her teammates after the Tiverton softball team beat Rogers 5-2 and won the Division-3 championship at RIC on Sunday afternoon.
Photos by Rich Dionne
The Tigers celebrate with the D-3 plaque.
Pitcher Lilliana Luis hurls a pitch during the game.
Carly Martin throws out a runner at first base after fielding a grounder.
Head coach Mike Brigham (middle) gives Carly Martin a pat on the back after she made a play in the field.
Brooke Sowa looks for the call after tagging out a Rogers baserunner, after the Tigers caught her in a pickle between second and third base.
Lilliana Luis is forced out at second base.
Abby Gillfillen cheers on her teammates after scoring in the sixth inning.
Lucy Stearns smashes a two-run single to left field in the third inning to give Tiverton a 3-0 lead.
Brooke Sowa (left) and teammate Sarah Poland celebrate after Sowa made the second out in the seventh inning.
Pitcher Lilliana Luis, Abby Gilfillen, Lia Doster, Sara Poland, Carlie Martin and teammates celebrate after they beat Rogers 5-2 and won the Division-3 state championship at RIC on Sunday afternoon.
Teammates gather around pitcher Lilliana Luis as she hugs Lia Doster (middle-right) after the game.
Sarah Poland hands out medals to her teammates after the win.
Posted
The Tiverton girls' softball team are Division-3 champs for the second straight year, after beating rival Rogers 5-2 in the division championship at Rhode Island College on Sunday afternoon. The 21-2 Tigers beat second place Rogers twice during the regular and twice in the playoffs. The vaunted Tiverton offense scored 301 runs in 23 games.
“It feels amazing,” said senior first baseman Lia Doster, who pitched for the Tigers most of the season. “Doing this two-years in a row, it’s really been an honor for us. Coming back this year felt so good. We were confident and we came in strong. I am really proud of my teammates and it’s amazing to see how far we’ve all come. ”
Doster, the Tigers' leadoff hitter, had a pair of hits during the championship game. In the bottom of the second inning, she smashed a double off the centerfield wall that scored freshman Lucy Stearns to give Tiverton a 1-0 lead.
Lost bat and freshman’s heroics spark Tigers to early lead
Stearns, the Tigers right fielder had lost her bat before the winner’s bracket final.
“It is my favorite thing. I was going out of my mind. I couldn’t find it anywhere.”
But she had found it at the batting cage during practice on Saturday and the freshman started her own heroics in the bottom of the third inning. Steans stepped to the plate with Sara Poland on third base and Carly Martin on second with two outs and Tiverton clinging to a 1-0 lead. Rogers' pitcher Lila Leys was having success keeping Tiverton offense off balance, but Steans bore down and belted a base hit into left field, scoring both runners to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead that they would not relinquish.
“It felt great,” Stearns said of her hit. “I swung at the first pitch I saw and drove it. It was an inside pitch and I just got all of it. It felt really good.”
Sophomore pitcher strikes out eight
Tigers’ pitcher Lilliana Luis and the Tigers stingy defense (one error), cruised through the first four innings, until Rogers scored a pair of runs in the fifth to make a game of it. The sophomore struck out eight, and allowed just three hits, two walks and two runs in a complete game seven innings. Head coach Mike Brigham decided to start the sophomore over Doster, when she had success spelling the senior during the Winner’s bracket final, which Tiverton smoked Rogers 14-9.
“It was smart to make the switch,” said Doster. “They have seen me multiple times. It definitely benefitted the team.”
Tigers add breathing room for pitcher, Luis
Tiverton added some breathing room and increased the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Freshman catcher Abby Gilfillen smashed a single to right to lead off. She took third base on a hit by Brooke Sowa and scored on error. Carly Martin singled home Sowa to give Tiverton a cushy 5-2 lead heading into the top of the seventh.
“Coach told us not to get complacent, and we didn’t,” Sowa said.
“We’ve been working really hard in practice,” Poland echoed. “Coach turned up the speed on the pitching machine and we hit off of Lilly to help us get ready for Leys (Rogers’ pitcher’s) speed.”
Defense comes up big in the final inning
Left fielder Kelsey Conway caught a long fly ball to left field for the first out of the seventh inning. Luis induced a second fly ball, this time a high pop-fly behind Sowa at shortstop. The junior ranged back and caught the fly ball easily for the second out. Luis struck out the last batter for the final out. She rushed in to celebrate with Gilfillen and the Tigers played followed. They were champs once again.
Coach heralds Tigers for their focus and drive
Coach Brigham heralded the Tigers for their focus and drive after the game.
“It’s tough to be the front runner all season,” said Coach Brigham, but they have been phenomenal. Saturday’s practice was one of the best that we’ve had all year. We’ve beaten a lot of teams up and they could have easily gotten lackadaisical, but they've been on point.”
Tiverton, who has made it to RIC three out of the last four years under Coach Brigham, has built up their softball program with a great core of players and incoming freshmen. Coach Brigham and the players feel confident that they can get back to the championship next season, despite moving up to Division 2.
“We are hoping to dominate up there as well,” Poland said.
“People are excited about the program,” said Coach Brigham. “We have some solid middle school players coming up too. We want the program to flourish.”
