The Garner-MacKinnon sisters both had a major role in Hall’s win over Simsbury Monday in West Hartford.
Freshman Piper Garner-MacKinnon was 2-2 with an RBI in a win over Simsbury. Hall vs. Simsbury softball. April 25, 2022. Photo credit: Paul Palmer
By Paul Palmer
Hall is playing some of its best softball right now – and that’s a good thing as the Warriors are in one of the toughest stretches of their schedule this week.
Coming off a no-hitter by senior pitcher Sophie Garner-MacKinnon on Friday, Hall started the week on Monday facing 6-1 Simsbury. Garner-MacKinnon used her arm and her bat to help get things off to a solid start on the week with an 11-2 win over the Trojans.
Garner-MacKinnon threw 78 pitches in six innings of work, striking out 12 batters and giving up just one base hit – a single in the third inning. “I just try to take it one pitch at a time. Live in the moment and not worry about each pitch,” said the senior hurler who’ll head to Duke this fall.
Garner-MacKinnon also got the Hall offense going against Simsbury. She doubled in the second and then Mollie Reynolds came in as the courtesy runner. Reynolds stole third and when the throw went into left field, she scored easily for the 1-0 lead.
Right fielder Jane Grove prepares to throw the ball back in after making the catch. Hall vs. Simsbury softball. April 25, 2022. Photo credit: Paul Palmer
In the top of the third, the visitors looked like they might answer with some runs of their own. Gianna Valentino led off with a clean single up the middle. Two batters later, Lilian Coumoyer bunted to third. Madeline Peterson’s throw to try and get the lead runner at second skipped into center field and put runners on second and third, but Garner-MacKinnon then fanned the next two Simsbury batters to end the threat.
Simsbury pitcher Mikaela Martinez pitched a strong opening three innings but ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth. That inning saw Hall play a little small ball to create more offense. “We’ve been working on how to manufacture runs,” said Hall head coach Becca Lewis.
Jordan Frankel fouls off the pitch against Simsbury. Hall vs. Simsbury softball. April 25, 2022. Photo credit: Paul Palmer
With one out, Tessa Hache drew a walk, Jordan Frankel then bunted and the low throw eluded Simsbury’s first baseman, and Hache came around to score. Jackie Hamad then stepped to the plate for what would be one of the games strangest plays. She popped the ball into shallow left field near the foul line, it was fielded by Simsbury third baseman Valentino, who wheeled and threw to first – but there was no one there. Hamad would end up on third as the ball ran into the dead ball area and two more runs scored. Initially, Hamad was sent home by the umpires, but after a conference, they ruled she should have only been allowed one base on the overthrow, but would come in to score later in the inning.
“We’re starting to come together,” said Lewis of her team. “We’re getting better each day.”
A good example of the improvement came in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Simsbury’s Ally Fiengo squared to bunt. The corner infielders charged and Peterson fielded the ball at third, while second baseman Frankel who was covering at first made a great scoop on a low throw to get the out.
Jane Grove connects for a double. Hall vs. Simsbury softball. April 25, 2022. Photo credit: Paul Palmer
In the bottom of that same inning Jane Grove led off with a double to left. Garner-MacKinnon followed by driving a ball the other way into right field for an RBI single. Again Reynolds ran for her and after stealing second base, she came in to score when Hache drove the ball the other way to right field to make it 7-0.
Hall added two more, one on a base-loaded walk and the other on an infield single by freshman Piper Garner-MacKinnon, sister of Sophie. She used her speed all day beating out infield hits, going 2-2 and picking up the RBI.
Sophie Garner MacKinnon allowed just one hit in five innings against Simsbury. Hall vs. Simsbury softball. April 25, 2022. Photo credit: Paul Palmer
After Sophie Garner-MacKinnon struck out the side in the top of the sixth, Hall would push across two more runs using a combination of a single, a couple of walks, an error and a couple of passed balls.
Senior pitcher Bella Gwiazdoski would come in for the seventh inning. After giving up a walk and a hit-by pitch, she fielded a ground out from Sofia Hanna. Simsbury would score its only two runs of the game on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Valentino would single before Gwiazdoski would get pinch hitter Shae Caufield looking at a called third strike.
The rest of the week will be a challenge for Hall. Weather permitting, they will travel to Glastonbury on Tuesday to face the once-beaten Guardians. Then on Thursday, the Warriors are on the road again, this time at Bristol Central. The Rams have won six straight after a loss in their opener.
Hall’s Jackie Hamad connects on the pitch. Hall vs. Simsbury softball. April 25, 2022. Photo credit: Paul Palmer
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