So she is a definitely a threat with the runner in scoring position here >> but they get her looking >> a backwards K for Bella D and the Titans go down in the top of the fifth. One run off of two hits for the Titans there. Uh, and no errors by the clockers and they leave one on base. We've got ourselves a six-3 ball game going in to the bottom of the fifth. Uh, and Sophie Connors, who is playing a really good game over third base, is is leading off the inning. Uh, we got Connors, Creggsman, and Cotch in the fifth. Well, any of them get on base back to the top of the order in Nico. >> Yeah. And you know, like you said, if they can turn the order to the top, it's dangerous. It is a dangerous right now. The top of the top of the order, uh, you know, Ustaris is two for two.
Uh, Domestico is two for three. Vendetti uh is one for three, Kaira is two for three. Um that one through four right now has certainly done their job for the clockers as we talked about in the beginning of the game. They have typically done that all year long. >> Yeah, I mean those one through four hitters account for five of the six runs scored today. >> Yeah, they they really have they really have done what they've been doing all year uh which is make solid contact and uh allow for more at bats. Right. The the more times you get on base, the more at bats you get. They're averaging, you know, four to five at bats a game, which is also something that has typically never happened for an Ashlin Clockers team. They I I was looking and uh so I've been again watching this team closely for three years as Caroline is a three-year veteran on the squad and I talked to my wife last night uh looked at some stats.
Her freshman season, the Clockers as an entire team had 111 hits. This year through eight games, the Clockers came into this game with 96 hits. >> So, this is a whole new team right here. We We are talking about a major change in Ashlin softball. I'd like to think Ashlin softball is back. We think about the glory days of the 2000s uh for Ashlin softball when they were putting banners up on the gymnasium wall. And it would be great if these clockers can can find that magic of uh clockers years past. >> And I tell you what, Mike, I was looking at the schedule this morning on Arbiter and we're not even halfway through the season. Like there's just so much season left. There's so many games left. Just a a great opportunity to come out, root these girls on. They got something special going on here.
>> Yeah. And if they can hang on today to get their eighth win of the season, they'll only need two more to make the state tournament for the first time in decades um for for the Clockers team as Sophie Connors pops up to the second baseman to lead off in the fifth. Sophie's played great defense though today and uh had a little bad luck at the plate, but playing some good D. And this brings up Rebecca Creman who had a huge double um in the third. Yeah, big two out double there to score the run. Right. >> Griefman takes ball one from Ruiz. Ball two. Two and0 to Rebecca Cricggsman. If anybody could hit that one, it's Rebecca. We know that she knows how to drive a a golf ball a long way. One of the best golfers in the state of Massachusetts. One of the most impressive things about Rebecca is uh typically female golfers in Massachusetts have a spring.
They play in the spring. Rebecca competes against the males in the fall because she plays softball. But then she will go in the spring state tournament having not played for months dedicating herself to softball and still be a highly competitive golfer in the state tournament. Rebecca thought that one was foul, but unfortunately it was called fair and she gets thrown out. Catcher two first base on the two three put out. >> That dirt around home plate is just so soft right now. Like she hit it and it hit the ground and just stopped right on the line. >> Taylor Cotch is going to is going to blast one right here. I can feel it. Taylor has been just getting under two balls. If she barrels one right now, she's got the speed to turn a single into a triple. Let's see what Taylor can do.
Time to barrel one mile. Let's go, kid. Okay, good eye for Taylor. I know it's a big weekend for the senior. She's deciding on which college she wants to attend. Uh these kids are coming rapidly uh to that May 1st deadline. Taylor ground ball. the second who second baseman has been a busy young player this game. Cotch grounds out. They go one, two, three in the fifth, but they still are ahead six to three going in to the top of the sixth. No hits, no runs, no one left on as the clockers go down 1, two, three in that inning. You know, Mike, just going back for a second. You were just talking about, you know, all the college acceptances that are happening now. And I just have to hat tip to the Ashlin counseling department and the great job they do with promoting all these acceptances whether you know the the notes go up on the board in school as well as uh like there's a whole Instagram account on this, right?
>> Yeah, we do keep track of it. The I think the kids run that account, but it's a fun thing. And and you know, you just had to deal with that last year, right? Two years. Two years. Chase, the the time is flying. So, so your son Chase, who I talked about earlier, is uh a future >> Hall of Fame uh Wacka first ballot hall of fame broadcaster. He's done a tremendous job for us and he's going to have quite the summer this summer. Really proud of Chase. I'm sure you are beaming with pride to talk about what he's going to be doing this summer. >> Yeah, Gabby Logan and I are all just just so ecstatic, just so thrilled for Chase for this opportunity. He's going to be one of the uh announcers for the Cadam Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. The league itself is a super competitive collegiate elite league.
Wooden bats, major league scouts out there, some of the best baseball players in the country. And uh as a result, the announcing jobs, the social media jobs, anything involving these teams are also very competitive. And uh Chase went up against a lot of talented kids and uh has been named as one of the two announcers this summer for the Anglers. That's just fantastic news and we're really proud of Chase and we look forward to hearing him as uh Emily Ruiz helps herself there with a single to right field to start off the top of the sixth inning. Uh Ruiz gets her first hit of the day on that single to right on the first pitch from Domestico to start the six. This brings up Mave Walker who is 0 for two on the day. Ruiz is on first base with no outs in the top of the sixth.
>> Walker shows bunt, fouls it off. Uh the the the Titans definitely like to bunt. Small ball is their game, I think. >> Absolutely. You know, and that's a skill, right? I mean, that's something you have to work on quite a lot in order to get good at it. We don't see a lot of bunting at the major league level. There are certainly so, you know, there aren't many players that are known as good punters, but we're seeing it here today from the Titans. >> Takes the next pitch. Low snap throw to first. Ruiz gets in in time. Oneonone count here. Uh Ruiz probably looking to go here. I would I would think want to get a runner in the scoring position. Down three in the sixth. maybe try to manufacture a run here and and sneak one across if they can to chip away at this lead.
Ground ball to Sophie Connors. Goes across the diamond. Nice throw. Again, a really solid defensive game by Sophie over there at third base. Gets the runner, the batter runner I should say. And Emily Ruiz heads over to second which brings up Chelsea Sainz who is flying out to left and got hit by a pitch. Domestico stretches the back out a little bit. Sets toes throws ball high to Sains to start the atbat. Coach Sasso, you know, moving his outfielders in just a little bit, trying to squeeze, be able to potential play at the plate should uh ball get hit into the outfield. >> Yeah, Ruiz looks like she has pretty good speed out there. Certainly someone who could probably score on a base hit to the outfield, which would certainly make sense while you're pulling them in a little bit. That again, >> too much.
>> The black of the plate is a strike. [laughter] The black of the plate has always been a strike, but just not today. Uh we I I actually marked it as a strike in my book. I have to erase it. >> Well, I don't want to have to erase it now. So, it's two and one to Chelsea Saints. >> Yeah. And Hayes hit by pitch uh back in the in the second inning. It kind of turned on that pitch, that inside pitch that was called a ball. And I think that was enough to see the umpire get that pitch called a ball. >> It it I'm looking at this crowd. It sure is nice. What what a fabulous crowd here on a on a lovely Saturday morning in Ashland as Chelsea Saints fouls one down the third baseline. But this is the kind of thing you see when a team is having success.
Clocker's looking for their eighth win in this young season. It's going to bring out some community members to come out and watch these girls and cheer them on. They deserve it. They deserve to be uh supported. I hope the student population begins coming out and getting behind these fantastic young ladies. >> Yeah, it's a likable team. They play good fundamental softball and they're just a lot of fun to watch. Mike, >> and you said likable team. They they they are a incredibly likable team and really wonderful kids, too. Uh we have some really good student athletes, some student leaders on this team, some kids who were involved in the community who do good things. uh you know people like Rebecca Cricggsman who was an MIAA leadership uh student, Taylor Cotch who is a class officer for the senior class >> and Sainz uh leaned into that one.
She did she she definitely leaned into it but >> you know smart play smart play by the kid. She takes a pitch, gets hit by a pitch. I I I do think that um she wore that one, but you know, sometimes a kid >> take one for the team. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Coach Sasso get an explanation from the home plate umpire. >> Yeah, I think coach Sasso saw the same thing that I saw. Um that she definitely leaned into that. Um talking about it with the base umpire, you really can't lean over the plate to take a pitch like that and that's what I saw. But again, we had a tough angle. Sure. >> We got a bad angle here in the right right line right field line. >> Um I'm interested to know if any of the fans that are out in center field felt like she Oh, no fans in center field because we don't have a fence here at Huntfield.
I've been searching for that for quite some time. But maybe eventually we'll get ourselves a fence so these girls can play like they should play at the varsity level um with an actionable fence. >> Okay. Okay. Well, first and second for the Titans with just one out here in the top of the sixth. So, Titans threatening and we're going to get a mound visit here from or circle visit from uh coach Larry Sasso. >> Yeah, I think that makes sense right now. Set all the girls down. You got 789 coming up with one out. Be really nice if you can get out of this inning uh with 78 to have nine lead off the seventh for the Titans. Uh she has struck out Machella in the fourth inning and she got her to ground out to Buterman in the second. So this this batter is 0 for two on the day to Bella.
Uh I think right now it's just one of those moments where you want to just have a quick conversation, settle these players down, and let's get out of this inning. >> Yeah. Stick with the game plan, keep going with what what has brought you success here today. Throw strikes. >> Yeah. throw strikes, hit spots, don't don't get rattled by what was I think a missed a missed strike call and then really potentially a a a stolen hit by pitch. But you can't let that worry. Can't worry about that. You have to have poise in the mound. >> And this is going to be foul. It's a foul ball. Um but a good piece of hitting there by Matura. But nonetheless, that's just strike one. Uh, so probably maybe move Taylor in a step and put her over to the line after that. But she's playing pretty deep right now.
I don't know if Coach Sasso wants her that deep. No, he's moving her in. Oh, >> offspe pitch. Goes for a ball. >> Plus, she might have brushed her leg with that one. It just like something felt a little bit off on that delivery. >> Huh. Interesting. Yeah. I wonder. Uh, Bill, also, you know, this is the sixth inning. She could be tiring a little bit. Typically, these pitches can go deep, but that's a late swing. >> It's a good fast ball. >> Good low fast ball. >> Two and two. I'm going to check the stat to see how many pitches Bella has thrown so far today. >> Mhm. >> Uh, again, these are unofficial. This is an unofficial um count, but the game changer box score once it loads up Bella as she a backwards K for Bella D. And that is two outs now in the top of the sixth bringing up Isabella Dallas.
Um yeah, Domestico has only thrown 82 pitches, 55 for strikes, which which really is an efficient an efficient percentage. >> Strike one. >> Six strike out of the day for Bella. second one looking. >> Yeah, I I this is that's the typical game for Bella. She's not going to blow you away um with strikeouts, but she will get some in and and in big spots, too. That was a big spot for a strikeout now with two runners on with only one out. Now, we've got two outs with two runners on and the number eight hitter up to the plate in Isabella Dallas who did have his single in the fifth. Well, Mike, how you're describing uh Bella, I don't know if you can call a freshman crafty, but it seems like that's that's the direction you're going in. >> Yeah, she's she she hits spots.
She she is she's been working on her game for years. I've been watching Bella pitch since she was a young girl. I mean, and we've been watching her growth and her development. Um she as a as a 13 14year-old kid has been playing in U8. Uh that that's going to be a hard ground ball in the center field. And that's going to get a run in. Uh so another another single by Isabella Dallas and she knocks a run in there. Uh so it keeps the inning alive. And now the score is 6-4 clockers in the top of the six with two outs and runners on first and second for the number nine hitter Delaney Walker. Mike, in the pregame you we talked about, you know, the Titans were going to be a formidable opponent for these clockers and uh it's coming true here so far today.
We got a pretty tight game here in the sixth. >> And I also said to you last inning, had to keep them under four, four, four or less. And right now they're at three heading with with two outs. So, got to keep got to keep uh Chelsea Saints off the [screaming] >> So, that one gets by Mattie Sanders and sneaks into the outfield. >> I'm going to wait and see what the official score is on that um by our scorekeeper. >> Yeah, I mean, shortstop didn't touch that ball. I would have to score it a single. >> Yeah, >> it's a play I think should have been made. Our scorer gave it an error and I actually think that that went under her glove. I I I think she should have made that play >> when she went backhand. Yeah. >> So, I'm going to go E6 as well on for Sanders.
And that loads the bases unfortunately. Uh this is going to be a tough spot with the top of the order up here with two outs. The Titans are looking for some two out magic uh with Valerie Lamont who is one for three on the day. Big big spot here for Domestico who is up 01 on Valerie Lamont. Misses away. This is this is a huge spot for the freshman. >> Got to shut this down right here. Can't let any more runs score. >> High pressure situation right now for the clockers. Little high. >> Little high. two and one. Good news for the Clockers is they are coming up with the top of the order in the in the bottom of the sixth. Uh so hopefully those bats can keep going, but we don't want to get any more across. We want to limit the damage here.