MILLTOWN – In a game filled with offense, a defensive play decided the outcome.
Caravel and Padua combined to pound out 27 hits on Wednesday at the Midway Softball Complex. Then, with the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Buccaneers right fielder Courtney Brobst made a diving catch to preserve Caravel’s 10-8 victory.
Brobst, a sophomore just three games into her transition from an infielder, took a couple of steps back on a soft liner from Gabriela Frabizzio before sprinting in to make a tumbling grab.
“I just needed to save the game, save the last run,” Brobst said. “I’m still getting used to outfield, so I got a little bit of a late jump.”
The third-ranked Buccaneers (2-1) led 6-0 after 1½ innings and 7-2 after 2½, only to see the Pandas (3-2) come back to tie it twice and send the game to extra innings.
“We were down 6-0, and we battled all the way back,” Padua coach Peter Boyer said. “Never gave up, even there to the last inning. She makes a great catch, and that was what was going to be the difference.”
It was all Caravel early. The Bucs got RBI singles from Amanda Stull and Amanda Ladzinski in the first inning. Then the first grand slam of senior Emily Proffitt’s softball career made it 6-0 in the top of the second.
“It was really nice. I hit it on the sweet spot,” Proffitt said. “I was looking for my pitch, like inside, and that’s where it was.”
The Pandas got on the board with a two-run single from Amelia Giordano in the bottom of the second, only to see Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith blast a solo homer in the third. Padua answered with a two-run single from Frabizzio to pull within 7-4 after three.
The Pandas rallied again in the sixth, as Giordano and Hannah Williams had RBIs and Caitlin Baxter tied it at 7 with a sacrifice fly.
Both teams scored an unearned run in the seventh. Then Grace Walker – facing Padua pitcher Abby Cunningham for the fifth time in the game – delivered a two-run single to give the Bucs a 10-8 lead in the top of the eighth.
“I knew I had to get some runs in, because it was a tie game,” Walker said. “… I was getting comfortable with her, because I had seen her four times already.”
But the Pandas weren’t done. Lynsie Grant chopped an infield single, Zoey Jones walked after fouling off seven pitches and Cunningham got another infield single – her third hit of the game – to load the bases with two out. Then Frabizzio lofted one to right, only to see Brobst make the winning play.
Still, Padua gained as much as you can from a loss.
“This showed a lot of heart, a lot of resilience, a lot of bounceback,” Boyer said. “… That’s probably the best game that I’ve ever coached in my nine years at Padua.”
The Pandas had 14 hits, including two each from Grant, Frabizzio and Kathryn Twardowski. Caravel had 13 hits, with Walker and Stull each collecting three and Bree Bryant and Smith each getting two.
Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @BradMyersTNJ
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Members of Caravel Academy’s junior varsity softball team watch as their varsity counterparts play in extra innings against Padua Academy at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith cheers on teammates in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Caravel’s Amanda Stull watches the ball off the bat in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Padua’s Kathryn Twardowski (No. 25) makes a leaping catch in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Padua’s Caitlin Baxter throws to first in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Teammates surround Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith (No. 19) after her home run in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith rounds the bases after hitting a home run in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Caravel’s Savannah Sheats delivers a pitch in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Padua’s Abby Cunningham delivers a pitch in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Padua’s Gabriela Frabizzio (right) tries to make a sliding catch after the ball went off of the glove of teammate Caitlin Donnelly (left) in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Caravel’s Amanda Ladzinski (right) celebrates with teammate Emily Proffitt after Proffitt’s grand slam in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Caravel’s Emily Proffitt hits a grand slam home run over the left field fence in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.
Caravel’s Elizabeth Smith connects for a home run in Caravel Academy’s 10-8 win over Padua Academy in extra innings at the Midway Softball Complex in Milltown on Wednesday afternoon.