Quick as a Wink: Double play by center fielder helps QND softball team outlast Pittsfield

QUINCY — Morgan Winking’s first concern was to simply catch a fly ball.

Gunning down a baserunner by doubling her off first base, however, proved to be the play that sealed Quincy Notre Dame’s victory on Wednesday night.

Winking’s double play combination with first baseman Morgan Zanger in the top of the sixth inning ruined Pittsfield’s hopes of mounting a comeback, and pitcher Caitlin Bunte took care of business from there as the Raiders held on to win 2-1 in the Class 2A regional semifinals at the Backyard.

QND (26-4) advances to Friday night’s championship game, which will be played on its home field against Pleasant Plains. The Cardinals (17-10) edged Buffalo Tri-City 5-4 in eight innings in Wednesday’s other semifinal.

Torie Stambaugh led off the sixth inning for Pittsfield (22-9-1) with a walk, bringing Lila Simon to the plate — and more importantly, putting someone on base ahead of Grace Henry, who was on deck. Henry entered the game with a .505 batting average, nine home runs and 64 runs batted in through 30 games.

Simon then hit a fly ball to Winking in center field for the first out. When Winking saw Stambaugh wander too far off first, she gunned a strike to Zanger.

“I looked at first and, I mean, the girl wasn’t there, so I threw it,” Winking said.

“We needed something more than what we were doing offensively, so when (Winking) saw that girl kind of get too far of a lead, she made a really good throw,” Notre Dame coach Eric Orne said. “Obviously it was kind of a routine play, but she put the ball on the money, and then … you could see the momentum jump back.”

“(Stambaugh) just got out of her range,” Pittsfield coach Ariana White said. “But hey, that’s gonna happen. It’s one of those where that’s a tough play. If the center fielder had dropped it, you don’t want to be too short, because then you’re not making it to (second base). So, hey, it happens.

“We needed baserunners (ahead of Henry) to make sure we’re being smart, but I’m also trusting them to get where they need to be to be successful. I trust them on the base paths.”

Henry then got jammed by Bunte and popped out to shortstop Alyssa Ley to end the sixth. Bunte then retired the Saukees in order in the seventh, although the hearts of many Raiders fans skipped a beat when Emma Wombles hit a screamer to lead off the seventh inning — only for it to be caught by Zanger.

Bunte was dominant in the circle, allowing just two hits and walking one to collect the victory. She gave up one unearned run to a team that had scored 299 runs in 30 games before Wednesday.

“You could tell (the Raiders) were a little tighter today, but that’s where you lean on your All-Stater,” Orne said. “Caitlin pitched a whale of a game. She made some really good pitches on the Henry girls.”

“It’s very relieving (to have Bunte in the circle),” Winking said. “It takes a lot of stress off of you.”

Notre Dame broke a scoreless tie with a run in the third inning. Makayla Boyer’s ground ball to second base with two outs was bobbled by Stambaugh, allowing Bunte — who had singled — to score. Pittsfield responded in the top of the fourth inning when Simon reached base on a misplayed groundball by Ley, and Henry slugged a double over the head of right fielder Sophia White to score Simon.

Courtesy runner Kinlee Griggs eventually reached third base, but Wombles flew out to White to end the threat.

The Raiders scored the last run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. White singled, Winking walked and Bunte was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ley then hit a sinking line drive to right field, and Paige Willman got a glove on it but couldn’t make a diving catch. The Saukees recorded a forceout on the play, but White scored.