Continuous Showers Delay Softball’s Momentum Following Walk-Off Grand Slam
- Richard Struzziery
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
On Sunday, the Dean softball team got their first home win of the season in the second game of a doubleheader vs USJ. Freshman Nina Ostafin hit a walk-off grand slam for her first collegiate homerun of her career.
The Bluejays took game one of the doubleheader 7-2, but the Bulldogs bounced back and won game two 13-9. Sara Fallon, head coach of the Bulldogs, is currently in her first season with the team, and Nina’s walk-off grand slam secured her first win in Franklin.
The Dean Daily had the opportunity to speak with Coach Fallon following their win over the Bluejays. When asked how the home crowd made an impact and the emotions surrounding the moment following her first home win, Coach Fallon said, “It was awesome. We had so much support from other teams and all across campus. When Nina hit that ball, that feeling, I was so excited, I was hopping around, our whole team was electric. We’re tiny, but we’re mighty, so it was awesome”.
Coach Fallon is currently leading the Bulldogs to one of the best starts in program history with a 6-11 record, and The Dean Daily asked her how have the Juniors and Seniors on this team played a role in the development in the younger players, and she said. “Across the board on my team, their leaders, that's one of my favorite things about them, they lead each other, know how to speak to each other and they know each other very well, if there is an issue or a problem, they are friends first so they can always work things out. Culture is everything, these seniors and juniors are leaving a legacy behind, the younger players definitely look up to them”.
High praise from Coach Fallon as the 4 seniors and 2 juniors have been role models all season long for the sophomores and freshmen of this team.
Following the Bulldogs' split doubleheader with the Bluejays on Sunday, another doubleheader with an in-conference opponent in Colby-Sawyer is scheduled on a rainy Wednesday afternoon.
The Dean Daily asked Coach Fallon how the team can continue to ride the momentum from the walk-off grand slam into Wednesday, she said. “I try and tell them the only people who can beat us is ourselves. We really do have a great foundation and team. We treat every opponent the same, and we always prepare the same way, never trying to get too high or low, and play everybody like our last”.
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Wednesday’s doubleheader began like any other. Until a delay in the 2nd inning, which lasted nearly an hour. Then, after lots of field work to get the field in proper conditions to play, the game was back on, for the time being. The doubleheader was cancelled in the 6th inning of the first game due to continuous rain showers at Longley Athletic Complex.
The score was 4-1 as the Chargers had the lead at the time of the delay. And outside of the 2nd inning, where the Bulldogs' defense allowed all 4 runs, Junior pitcher Bryce DeGasparre played a tremendous game in the elements and held the Chargers scoreless for 4 innings.
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The lone Bulldogs run was scored by Senior Xandra Silva on a sacrifice fly RBI from Junior Emily Kilpatrick. As of right now, there is no makeup date for the doubleheader with the Chargers.
However, the Bulldogs' next game is another doubleheader this Saturday in Newton vs the Lasell Lasers at noon and 2 PM.
