Windham softball nips Goffstown to remain undefeated
There wasn’t much for Jaime Cleasby to think about, other than to keep doing what she’d been doing.
WINDHAM – There wasn’t much for Jaime Cleasby to think about, other than to keep doing what she’d been doing.
With the Windham High School softball team clinging to a one-run lead late in Monday’s game against Goffstown, the senior pitcher tried to remain focused on hitting her spots.
Although the Grizzlies were able to get runners on in the sixth and seventh innings, Cleasby battled in the circle and the Jaguars made a head’s up play in the field to preserve a 3-2 win that kept Windham (13-0) unbeaten on the year.
“In those situations, I just tried to focus on my spots and my pitching,” Cleasby said. “I try not to think a lot, but during that situation, I had to dial in and pay attention to what I’m throwing rather than go along with whatever is called.”
Cleasby finished the day allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out 11. Goffstown (12-2) hit a couple of balls hard – including an RBI-triple by Kayla Fleming in the third and a solo home run by Alyssa Lombardi in the sixth – but had trouble stringing hits together.
Windham got a two-run single from Rachel Estes (2 for 3, run) to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third, while Sam Mague also drove in a run and Courtney Costa had a double and a run scored.
“Rachel (Estes) has been hitting lights out this year,” Windham coach Dave Hedge said. “I believe she’s over .400 and for a junior, she’s the go-to. She’s fluid and she’s a kid who is a ball player. It’s great to watch her play.
“Jaime hit her spots. For 98 percent of the time, she hit her spots, and she has faith in her defense, so she knows all she has to do is throw the ball.”
That defense came through in the seventh, when Goffstown’s Liv St. Jean drew a one-out walk and Amber Davis laid a bunt down the third base line. But Windham’s Rachel Rogers quickly scooped up the ball and fired to shortstop Katie O’Connor, who was covering second, to get the lead runner.
“We always stress you have to practice as hard as you can as if it’s a game, so when the game comes, it’s natural,” Hedge said. “One of the key plays of the day was when they bunted (in the seventh) and Rachel Rogers threw to Katie O’Connor at second. We practice that and they know what to do with the ball.”
Emma Campbell took the loss for Goffstown, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out two. After the Jaguars had four straight one-out hits in the third, Campbell settled in and retired nine consecutive batters until a single by Hannah Klaassens in the sixth.
“I thought she threw a great game,” Goffstown coach Matt Fleming said. “She kept them off balance. If you look at the hits they had, they had a couple of solid hits, but the rest of the plays were off the end of the bat, they were off-speed pitches they had a hard time connecting with. That allowed the defense to make plays.”
The Grizzlies looked like they might get to Cleasby in the sixth, with Lombardi’s shot just right of straightaway center making it a one-run game. After Windham got the second out of the inning, Megan Purcell smashed a double off the fence, but Cleasby came back to strike out Campbell to end the inning.
“This was one of the biggest wins because they are one of the top teams,” Cleasby said. “This feels really good to come out on the end. I was nervous because they’re a good hitting team. That hypes me up, so it was kind of a good thing.”
