WARWICK, R.I. ---- The Massasoit CC softball team fought right with CCRI on Tuesday afternoon, but the Knights were able to pull away with 7-3 and 6-1 victories to claim the Region XXI Championship in a best-of-three series.
Both games were close until the later innings, as the Warriors concluded the season 5-15 overall and 5-7 in Region XXI.
Massasoit bounced back for the Region XXI Championship series against the Knights after falling to CCRI over the weekend at home by scores of 20-0 and 22-0.
"Obviously it is disappointing to lose in the Region 21 Championship," head coach Sandy Lombardi said. "But I could not be more proud of the way we played and competed today. After losing two really tough games over the weekend against CCRI, we played right with them until the end."
Game 1: CCRI 7, Massasoit 3
Kelsey Whiting (Sharon) allowed just three earned runs, but three errors led to four unearned runs as the Knights took game one.
Trailing 7-1 in the sixth, Massasoit made it interesting as Kristen Gardner (Rockland) and Kelly Cronin (Weymouth) each plated runs. However, CCRI pitcher Jessica Spargo escaped any further damage with a pair of groundouts.
Cronin went 2-for-3 with one RBI and Gardner scored twice.
Whiting was saddled with the loss, going the distance, totaling three strikeouts in six innings of work in the circle. The righty scattered six hits and walked four.
Game 2: CCRI 6, Massasoit 1
The second game featured a classic pitchers duel through the first five innings of action between Massasoit's Kelsey Whiting and CCRI's Jessica Spargo.
CCRI scored single runs in the first and second innings, but that was all the scoring either team would muster until the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Cronin knocked in Alex Pohl (Middleboro) with a RBI single as the Warriors loaded the bases with one out. But a pick off and strikeout ended the threat, with Massasoit still trailing 2-1.
The next half inning, the Knights took advantage of three walks and two miscues to come around and score four times and put the game out of reach.
Marrissa Spivey (Brockton) went 2-for-3 with a double and Ashley Pitts (Rockland) added a pair of hits in the loss.
Whiting yielded six runs, with just three being earned, off nine hits in the loss.