Daily Transcript - Norwood vs. Braintree

May 02, 2007

By Tom Fargo/Daily News Staff
GateHouse Media
Thu May 03, 2007, 02:52 AM EDT

Norwood falls to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in the BSC with the defeat. Braintree, the Carey Division co-leaders, improves to 6-2, 5-2 in BSC.
“If you look back at our four losses, we let those teams win,” said Norwood coach Kathy Smelstor. “I’ve been in every game. We are this close to being an 8-0 team, this close to being right where I want them to be. I can give them tools but they have to do it themselves.”
Hits were at a premium at the Balch. DiMascio took a no-hitter into the seventh that was broken up by a leadoff single by Katie Ouellette. With some better fortune, Dolan might have been bidding for a no-no herself, as of the three hits she gave up, two were bang-bang plays at first and the other never got past the circle.
But two of those hits came in the fourth when Braintree struck for the game-winner. DiMascio led off with a grounder up the middle that deflected off Dolan’s glove to Ouellette at short, whose throw arrived at the same time as DiMascio at first and she was ruled safe.
A sacrifice moved DiMascio to second for Jacqui Saluti, who dinked a short pop that fell just out of the reach of Dolan and first baseman Jen Harrington for a hit. DiMascio had to briefly hold up to see if the ball was caught, then took off for third when it found the ground, narrowly beating the throw there.
While the throw was on its way to third, Saluti streaked for second and slid around a Norwood attempt to get her there. DiMascio alertly took that opportunity to dust herself off at third and scurry home easily for the 1-0 edge.
“With these two (pitchers), you are not going to score a lot of runs, you have to have a little luck in a game like this,” said first-year Braintree coach Tom Grande. “Usually it’s a little bloop or a little bobble, somebody just beats a throw or beats a tag. It could go either way. That’s what happens in these games, you get a little break somewhere.”
Braintree didn’t manage much else against Dolan. The Wamps’ first hit came with one out in the second on a ball through the right side by Saluti that right fielder Kim DeCosta got to quickly and came up firing, nearly nabbing Saluti at first. A two-out walk put two on but Dolan fanned Maddie Gauthier to strike out the side.
Dolan struck out 11 total on the day and walked three to take the hard luck loss, coming out on the wrong end of a 1-0 decision for the second time this year.
“She pitched a great game,” said Smelstor. “She moved the ball around beautifully, got them looking, and played well defensively. Take a couple plays away and it’s a different ballgame.”
Despite the lack of hits off DiMascio, Norwood had a number of chances to get on the board, advancing three runners to third, including twice with one out. But each time, DiMascio responded.
Christine Calligan walked with one out and Braintree botched an Allison Todesco sacrifice attempt, putting runners on second and third with one out after a steal. DiMascio whiffed the next two batters to escape however. A walk, a ground out and a sacrifice moved Tedesco to third in the fourth, but DiMascio snared a hard-hit comebacker by Auzie Fruci to end the inning.
Ouellette finally ended the no-hit bid with a clean single up the middle. She went to third when DeCosta bunted up the first base line and was tagged out by Saluti, who fell on the play as Ouellette kept chugging around. But DiMascio had the answer again, finishing up the game with her 10th and 11th strikeouts of the game.
“It was going to be who came up with the hit at the opportune time, we were knocking on the door,” said Smelstor. “They are very frustrated right now, it’s been four straight games without a practice, but they are just going to have to regroup.”