Westfield shortstop Lexi Minicucci makes one of several plays in Wednesday’s state semifinal game against Holy Name. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
WORCESTER – Don Mattingly … David Beckham … Michael Jordan … LeBron James … the Westfield Bombers.
There have been some memorable famous athletes who have donned No. 23. Players for the 2014 Westfield High School softball team will now have “Number 23” attached to each of their names for a lifetime.
Central Massachusetts champion Holy Name snapped Western Massachusetts champion Westfield’s winning streak at 23 games, defeating the Bombers 6-1 in a Division 1 state semifinal game late Wednesday night at Worcester State University.
Holy Name raced out to a 3-0 first-inning lead, and never looked back.
“We came in knowing it was going to be a good game, but we went out fighting,” said Westfield senior catcher Kaitlyn Puza (3-for-4), who drove in the team’s only run with a fifth-inning double.
“For 10 seniors, this was amazing,” Puza said. “We didn’t lose tonight. Nobody can take 23 games away from us.”
Holy Name took away win No. 24 with a fast start.
Lightning-quick lead-off batter Ama Biney singled and stole second base to begin the game for Holy Name (22-2). She scored on Heather Drummond’s RBI single.
An overthrow on an errant pickoff attempt at third base – Puza’s arm caught a piece of the batter at the plate and went array – an error in the outfield, and a fielder’s choice led to the Naps’ 3-0 lead.
Puza’s fifth-inning smack cut the lead to two, but it was as close as Westfield would get.
In the seventh, Holy Name tacked on three insurance runs with booming hits from Biney (RBI triple), Drummond (RBI double), and Kelsey Saucier (RBI double) in subsequent at-bats.
“They had their day; we had our moments,” said Westfield’s senior third baseman Atkocaitis, who racked up some 140 hits in her high school career.
The Bombers managed just six hits against Holy Name pitcher, Saucier, with Puza collecting half of them. Jessie Pratt, Madison Brockney, and Maddy Atkocaitis had the others.
“(Holy Name) had a lot of good hitters, their pitching was really strong, and they had speed and hits,” Atkocaitis said. “They caught us off guard.
Despite the loss, the memory of an unbeaten run through Western Massachusetts will last well into the offseason, and beyond.
“It was the perfect senior year,” said the team’s fiery shortstop, Westfield’s Lexi Minicucci, who needed a moment to gather herself following the emotional loss. “We came out on top, and no one believed in us.”
Minicucci was stellar defensively, making several putouts and assisting on others.
Said Bombers’ coach Joe Stella: “This was a feather in their caps. Not many teams can say they go undefeated, 23-0.”
They may not have been the best team in the state on Wednesday, but the Bombers were the best team in Western Mass. – all season long.
“Senior year,” Atkocaitis said. “We’re definitely never going to forget it.”
Neither should anyone else.
