Cosmos win another 1-run affair

The Cosmos were locked in a 3-3 tie with Fair Haven and Springfield’s Kristin Cook was ready to go on any passed ball or wild pitch. When Emily Ringquist delivered the wild pitch, Cook was off and came home with the winning run. http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120511/SPORTS02/705119867

Published May 11, 2012 in the Rutland Herald Cosmos win another 1-run affair By Tom Haley STAFF WRITER SPRINGFIELD — Springfield’s Kristin Cook was poised like a sprinter in the blocks as a runner at third base in the bottom of the seventh. The Cosmos were locked in a 3-3 tie with Fair Haven and Cook was ready to go on any passed ball or wild pitch. When Emily Ringquist delivered the wild pitch, Cook was off and came home with the winning run. The 4-3 victory was the seventh one-run game the 9-2 Cosmos have been involved in and now they have won five of those. “I was going for it,” Cook said. “Base running is my favorite part of the game. I knew I’d be going. It was all or nothing.” It was a tough ending for Ringquist who had pitched so well. She struck out nine, walked three and gave up only four hits. “You’ve got to give their pitcher credit,” Springfield coach Andy Bladyka said. “She did a nice job keeping us off balance. This is one of the weakest offensive efforts we have had.” Ringquist struggled in the first when the Cosmos pushed a run across. But then she got in a groove. Sara Locke and Jill Rushton singled, and KK Haskell drew a walk to load the bases. Ringquist then walked in a run. Springfield starter Locke shut the Slaters out through the first three innings, but they tied it with a run in the fourth. Ringquist reached on an error and Nicole Fyles and Heather Fenton followed with singles to load the bases. Kayla Stoodley then beat out an infield single, with courtesy runner Rachel Butrinas scoring. The Cosmos gave Locke a two-run cushion in the sixth when the Fair Haven defense collapsed. Locke and Jenna Paul were able to cross the plate without the benefit of a hit in the inning. A walk and two errors were all the Cosmos needed. Down to their final at-bat, the Slaters battled for two runs to tie the game. Anna-Michelle Fabian reached via an error and Timi Carone slapped a hard single to center. Hunter Pedro put the ball in play and there was an overthrow to third in an attempt to get Fabian and she scored easily. Ringquist singled home the tying run but Pedro was cut down at the plate on the same play. The bottom of the seventh began innocently enough with Ringquist notching her eighth strikeout. But Cook beat out a bunt single and moved up to third on two passed balls. Ringquist rang up her ninth strikeout and with two outs and was on the brink of getting out of the jam and forcing extra innings. But that’s when Ringquist’s wild pitch, high and outside, allowed Cook to dash home with the game-winning tally. The Slaters collected 10 hits off Locke but left the bases loaded in the fourth as well as in the sixth. Carone, Ringquist, Fyles and Stoodley had two hits apiece for Fair Haven. The Slaters fall to 4-6. “I’m not terribly happy with our play today,” Bladyka said. “I’m not making excuses but we played Mount Anthony the day before and it’s the first time we’ve played back-to-back days this year.” Bladyka said he feels the spate of one-run games will help his team down the stretch and in the playoffs. “Our girls don’t get down and they don’t quit,” Bladyka said.” “We’ve been down before and we know what we are capable of doing,” Cook said.