A little goes a long way: Taunton softball freshmen key in win over King Philip

PLAINVILLE— It's a moment that a young Taunton Girls Softball League player dreams of.

Facing arch rival King Philip for control of the Hockomock Kelley-Rex, Taunton (11-0, 9-0 Hockomock) freshman second baseman Madison Crowley stepped up to the plate. Though just the top of the second, both the Tigers and Warriors know any run can be difference maker against each other. With senior designated player Cate Larson stood on first, Crowley belted a pitch over the center left field fence for not just her first varsity home run, but the eventual go-ahead in a 5-1 win over KP Wednesday.

"It was just awesome," Crowley said. "I'm so proud of my team and I can't wait to see what we accomplish this season."

Desppite batting last in the lineup, big performances at the plate have become the norm for Crowley, along with fellow freshmen catcher Aniyah Bailey, who sent a solo shot deep to dead center an inning later, and third baseman Bella Bourque, who has built on the hitting prowess she established as an eighth-grade starter last year. The trio accounted for four of the five runs the Tigers scored, while fellow freshman Kaylee Lopes scored the fifth while pinch running for senior pitcher Sam Lincoln.

"The freshmen have definitely been key contributors for us offensively this year," Tigers coach Michelle Raposo said. "They’re just going up and being aggressive at the plate. That was Maddie’s first home run with us and Aniyah hit another one for us and it just keeps Sam calm on the mound knowing that we have some run reassurance and that we’re hitting through the lineup."

For Lincoln, who earned the win after going all seven innings giving up a run on five hits and three walks while striking out 13, the efforts the Class of 2027 have certainly gone appreciated.

"We’re really dangerous," Lincoln said. "Our freshmen play a big role on our team and it’s just great to see them excel."

The win over the Warriors comes just two days after another win over an MIAA Division 1 Top 10 opponent in Bishop Feehan. Tied 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Bourque took a jump on a passed ball and came home for the win. As they were Wednesday, the freshmen played a part in all four runs that evening as well, with Bourque scoring a pair of runs while Bailey had a run and an RBI and Crowley had an RBI.

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"We knew that after losing our big bats last year, our littles, as we call them, are going to have to come in and produce, whether that was little ball or to just get there and be aggressive," Raposo said. "That’s all I asked from them all year and they’ve done a great job of going into the batter’s box with a good mindset, looking for their pitch and just swinging for it."

Now 11-0, the back-to-back-to-back defending state champions are feeling confident in their ability to keep the ball rolling, especially with two key wins and control of the Hockomock Kelley-Rex title in their hands. But, as Raposo said, the Tigers can't get complacent and know they need to keep up the work and keep improving if they want to defend the crown.

"All I keep saying is, like last year, we’re taking it one game at a time," Raposo said. "Every day we’re going to focus and play our hardest."

Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: A little goes a long way: Taunton softball freshmen key in win over King Philip