Hudson – The Hudson Demolition 14U softball team was crowned Bellingham Bash champions, defeating their cross-town rival Marlborough Thunder 4-3 in dramatic fashion, for its second championship this summer. Down 3-0 going into the 7th inning, Hudson plated 3 runs to tie the game. They then held Marlborough scoreless, forcing extra innings. In softball tournament play, extra innings (known as the international tie-breaker) involves placing a runner on second base and playing the inning to completion. Hudson quickly scored in the tie-breaker to take a one -run lead and, and ultimately a one-run victory.
Hudson was down 0-3 in the top of the seventh inning, Haley Gaffney ripped a single into left field, followed by Maddie Provencher's double over the right fielder's head, scoring Gaffney for Hudson's first run. Kelly Young then pounded a single up the middle, scoring Provencher and making the game 3-2. Young was moved to third base, when Shay Waldsmith delivered the tying single to left field.
Young then put the team on her back, striking out the first batter in the bottom of the seventh, only to have the bases loaded with one out. With a 3-1 count (one ball away from the deciding the tournament), Young bore down and struck out the next two batters. The eighth inning started with Kate O”Neil on second base, when Hudson's catcher Kelsey Gallagher took the first pitch she saw back up the middle scoring O”Neil for what would prove to be the game-winning run. Hudson still needed 3 more outs to secure their second championship of the summer. Young struck out the first two batters and forced a fisted fly ball into shallow left field, which would have tied the game, but Hudson's short stop Nikki Bishop made a spectacular play catching the ball going away.
The team consists of Stephanie Hamilton, Lilly Clouter, Haley Gaffney, Maddie Provencher, Kelly Young, Nikki Bishop, Shay Waldsmith, Kate O’Neil, Kelsey Gallagher and Thaya Zalewski. The coaches are Jim Gaffney, Matt O”Neil and Steve Clouter.
