MENDON, Mass. — Nipmuc punched its ticket to the round of 16 the Massachusetts Division 3 softball tournament with a convincing 10-2 victory over Ludlow on Monday, fueled by a dominant pitching performance from Charlotte Leitch and a relentless offensive attack.
Leitch was outstanding in the circle, striking out 15 batters while allowing six hits and just one earned run over seven complete innings. The sophomore kept Ludlow off balance throughout the afternoon, recording strikeouts in nearly every inning while helping the Warriors secure a postseason win.
After two scoreless frames, Nipmuc broke through in the third inning with three runs. Kira DeBaggis opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly before Leitch and Teagan Bykowski each drove in a run to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.
Nipmuc continued to apply pressure, scoring three runs in the fourth and adding two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to put the game out of reach.
The Warriors finished with 14 hits, led by Savannah Carr, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Sierra Lopes added two hits, an RBI, and two stolen bases, while Maddie Molle collected two hits, scored three times, and drove in a run. Leitch helped her own cause at the plate with two hits and two RBIs, and Maya Vercruysse drove in a pair of runs.
Nipmuc will next face the 5th-seeded Apponequet Regional High School on Thursday, June 4th at 3:00 PM.
