St. Bernard can't solve its Coginchaug curse, falls in Class S Semis
By March Allard
EAST LYME -- They got as close as they could have to finally ending the Coginchaug curse, but it wasn't to be for members of the St. Bernard High School softball team.
The Saints have now lost three straight times in the Class S state tournament by Coginchaug.
In the 2005 semifinals, the second round in 2006 and once again in the semis Wednesday as the Blue Devils posted the 5-2 victory at Veteran's Park in Niantic. Coginchaug moves on to its third straight title game on either Friday or Saturday. The day and time has not been decided by the CIAC.
This loss to Coginchaug, however, hurt the most for a couple of reasons. The Saints led 2-0 in the top of the seventh and it was the final time the five seniors, who helped turned the St. Bernard program around, would get a shot at a state championship.
"For the last two years, I've been able to say, we'll get them next year," St. Bernard coach Andrea Gaines said. "And now, I look at (my) team and I can't say that. It's a tough way to go out for those five seniors."
Gaines was asked to talk a little bit about the seventh inning as the Saints went in with that two-run lead, but gave up five runs to the Blue Devils.
"To be honest, I would have to look at the book to replay the seventh inning, other than the sand falling through our hands," Gaines said.
Slipping away
The seventh hitter in the Blue Devils' order, Jess Robison, led off the inning with the third of her three hits, a single to center-field. Marissa Hewitt ripped a double to left-center to put runners on second and third. Then Britt Sayers knocked in the first run as her ground ball to the right side scored Robison and Sayers also reached safely as St. Bernard threw to home plate unsuccessfully.
The Saints (19-5) got a little break when an interference call at second on a ground ball by Christine Yeomans prevented a run from scoring and left Coginchaug with runners on first and third, a run down and just two outs to play with.
"I was praying that it would," said senior outfielder Rachel Greene when asked if she hoped that play would stem the tide. "We got the out and I was thinking that, maybe, we could do this."
It wasn't the case. Allie Muzik also reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Winning pitcher Britt Hill gave Coginchaug (22-3) the lead for good when she slipped one in just inside the chalk down the right-field line for a two-run single.
Hill had some indecision in the fourth inning that led to the Saints' first run, so the junior was happy to put her team ahead.
"I wanted to make up for that," the Coginchaug pitcher said. "I wanted to come back, I did everything I could,."
An error allowed the fourth run to score and a Britt Lane sacrifice fly brought home the fifth and final run for the Blue Devils.
"It was like a shock," St. Bernard senior shortstop Felicia McGarry said. "We were up and then they just scored and scored and scored and scored. We've lost some tough games in soccer and basketball, but this was the toughest of them all because we had them beat."
Casey Brigham scored the Saints' first run in the fourth when she doubled, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a groundout by Hope Brigham. McGarry scored what St. Bernard had hoped to be the insurance run in the sixth as she reached on a bunt single, stole second, went to third on an overthrow and scored on a groundout.
Reach Assistant Sports Editor Marc Allard at 425-4212 or mallard@norwichbulletin.com
