WORCESTER — Thanks to a complete-game shutout from standout southpaw Samantha Lincoln, Taunton is heading back to the Division 1 softball state championship game.
Lincoln struck out 14 Central Catholic batters and allowed just a single hit to lead her Tigers to a 1-0 victory to remain undefeated and in contention for a fourth consecutive state title.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Taunton coach Michelle Raposo said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game all the way through, I didn’t know it was going to be a 1-0 game, but we got it done, we made it work.”
The Tigers struck first after Aniyah Bailey ripped a double down the left field and Brooke Aldrich drove her in with a single up the middle. That would be the extent of the offense for both teams, although Taunton mustered six hits.
Lincoln retired the first five batters she faced and said she had her full pitch arsenal cooperating.
“My screwball was really good today with the upward movement and keeping it level,” Lincoln said. “I was really relying on that and my changeup’s here and there to keep them off balance.”
Central catcher Zaynah Wokowicz smacked a double in the second and attempted to stretch it into a triple. That’s where the defense came in, as a relay between Mia Torres, Maddie Crowley and Bella Bourque got her out at third base.
“We needed to be flawless,” Raposo said. “We need to do everything we can to get to those balls and get those outs because those outs could be what determines the win.”
Brooke Aldrich would later smack a double and finished 2-for-2 on the day as the biggest threat in the lineup.
“I’m very confident in my play,” Aldrich said. “With the lights being so bright, I know I need to lock in.”
However, Lincoln was truly the one who determined the outcome and she retired eight consecutive batters to end the game.
As her Tigers prepare for another state title bout, the Texas Tech commit knows exactly what her team needs to do.
“We need to hit, we need to field and we need to make all the plays we can,” Lincoln said.
