Cosmos catch up with Slaters, Bowen

It took a while, but eventually Springfield figured out the fast serves of Olivia Bowen and came away from windy Bill Robinson Field Wednesday with a 7-1 Division II win over Fair Haven in Marble Valley League softball play.

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Cosmos catch up with Slaters, Bowen Rutland Herald | May 04, 2017 By POODY WALSH CORRESPONDENT SPRINGFIELD — It took a while, but eventually Springfield figured out the fast serves of Olivia Bowen and came away from windy Bill Robinson Field Wednesday with a 7-1 Division II win over Fair Haven in Marble Valley League softball play. The highly touted Bowen retired the first 14 Cosmos in order before the Cosmos erupted for seven runs on seven hits over the final two innings. “ They just made the right adjustment,” said Slater coach Bill Jones. “ Springfield is a good hitting team.” If the reason for the lategame rally was as Jones said, then Springfield coach Andy Bladyka thinks all the credit should go to his assistant, Mike Langdon. “Mike works with the hitters when he knows we’re going to face a fast pitcher,” said Bladyka. “He does a great job.” Bladyka added that, “it was a great win for our program considering that Fair Haven was the favorite to win the Marble Valley League B Division.” And Springfield did it starting four freshmen, including the entire outfield. The game was scoreless for four innings, but it was Fair Haven that had the first chances to get some runs. But before the game was over the Slaters had two runners called out for leaving early on caught fly balls and a runner thrown out at third. The loss ended a four-game winning streak for 4- 4 Fair Haven. Springfield is 3-2 with both losses coming against Division I teams. Steady Hannah Crosby was solid on the mound for the Cosmos, winning her five-hitter, striking out five and walking two. Bowen was crisp, early, throwing just 43 pitches in the first four innings. She struck out the side in the third inning on nine pitches. With the game scoreless and two out and nobody on in the bottom of the fifth the game started going Springfield’s way. Without a hit or a base runner to this point, Juliann Albero- Levings was hit by a pitch. She stole second without a throw being made and scampered the final two bases on Ashley Chamberlin’s double over the center fielder’s head. Chamberlin would eventually come around on an error. The wheels came completely off for the Slaters in the sixth as Springfield sprayed five hits to score five times, the big blows a two-run triple by Maddie Stagner and two-run single from Jessica Cerniglia. Fair Haven’s run come on two errors in the seventh. In the third the Slaters had the bases loaded with two outs and Cass Lanfear up. She saw eight pitches as she fouled off two 3-2 pitches before bouncing out. Bellows Falls is at Springfield Thursday while Fair Haven hosts Poultney in another Thursday contest.