Hopedale’s softball team saw its perfect start come to an end yesterday afternoon in a tight local matchup against Nipmuc. The Blue Raiders entered at 3-0 and were favored coming in, but they were unable to hold off the Warriors in a 4-3 loss that came down to the final inning.
Hopedale made things interesting late by scoring three runs in the top of the seventh, putting pressure on Nipmuc and forcing the game to stay close right to the end. Avery Araujo led the Blue Raiders offensively with a double and a single while driving in a run, giving Hopedale one of its most consistent bats in the lineup. Even with the late push, the Blue Raiders could not quite complete the comeback.
The loss drops Hopedale to 3-1 on the season, but the early portion of the year has still shown plenty of promise. The Blue Raiders have been productive and competitive against strong opponents, and they will look to quickly bounce back when they face Bellingham tomorrow at 4 p.m. The Blackhawks enter at 4-0 and are coming off a 3-1 win over Westwood, so Hopedale will need another strong outing from its top hitters, including Emily Atwood and Layla Huntley, to handle another tough test.
