Oyster River softball remains confident after suffering first Division II loss of season

NORTHWOOD - When two of the top teams in a division meet on the field, it's a good bet the game is going to be hard-fought and tightly-contested.

The Oyster River High School softball team opened the season with a 5-1 victory over two-time defending Division II state champion Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, and since then, neither team has lost a game - something had to give in Monday's showdown.

Coe-Brown was two outs away from a victory celebration in the top of the seventh, but Oyster River's Sam Bishop delivered the game-tying RBI single to right that scored freshman Kaiya Mercier, tying the game at 2-2. Mercier pinch-ran for Laura Boughton, who doubled to left.

Bishop, who started in the circle for the Bobcats, proceeded to shut down Coe-Brown in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.

Unfortunately for Oyster River, its eight-game win streak to start the season came to an end in the eighth as Madeline Lovett's RBI single to center scored Kylie Bieniek for the 3-2 win.

Coe-Brown improved to 10-1, while Oyster River is now 8-1.

Two 'evenly-matched' teams

Oyster River head coach Chad Michaud said games against Coe-Brown are typically close, especially the previous three games dating back to last year.

"I think we're really well-matched," Michaud said. "We've been putting up big runs, and they've been putting up big runs prior to this. And you come in today, and it's a 3-2, extra-inning game. It was a pitcher's duel and a defensive game."

"I think, honestly, both teams were probably tight," Coe-Brown head coach David Allis said. "This was one of those good games. If we meet later in the playoffs, I think both teams will play better."

Bishop shines on short notice

Bishop, a sophomore, went eight innings for Oyster River, allowing three runs on seven hits, and striking out six.

Coe-Brown senior Annie Jerome hit two solo home runs in the game.

"(Bishop) did a great job, we told her about 40 minutes before the game she was starting," Michaud said. "She had good movement on her pitches. She had some off-speed stuff, and they really only had two hard hit balls and they were both solo home runs ... she was pounding the strike zone."

Bishop talked about gaining more confidence as the game went on.

"I think just reminding myself that I know how to throw (my pitches)," she said. "Just keeping that confidence in my head and not getting down, I think that definitely helped me with each strikeout."

Bobcats not shook by extra-inning loss

Michaud said Coe-Brown is a good team and added that while Oyster River has to make some adjustments, the team shouldn't hang its head after one loss.

"We're in a good position," Michaud said of his postgame message to the team. "We came in undefeated and it's hard to go undefeated for a whole season. The pressure mounts. Not that any loss is good, but it's just one of those things; and we're going to move on."

Oyster River sophomore Aubrey DeJesus delivered the team's first run on an RBI groundout.

"I'm really proud of our team, I think we worked really hard," DeJesus said. "Tough loss ... pretty unexpected because we did come in here with a lot of confidence. I do think it makes a stronger team by losing (this game) ... we just need to put in that work to really come out on top."

DeJesus added she '100 percent' thinks the Bobcats can compete with any team in Division II.

"I think our dynamic is really strong," DeJesus said.

"I think we have a good chance," Bishop said. "We have really good chemistry, and we're really able to bring each other up."

Getting offensive

Monday's loss was only the fourth time an opponent had scored more than two runs this season against Oyster River. The Bobcats have allowed just 23 runs through nine games.

But, it is Oyster River's explosive lineup that catches the eye of Allis, and is what makes the Bobcats a top team in Division II.

"That's the thing, if you're tough one through nine, defense and offense, you're just tough to beat," Allis said. "They are good one through nine ... so when there's no holes in the lineup, that's probably their greatest strength - defense and offense."

The two runs in Monday's loss is the fewest output of the season for Oyster River (61 total on the season).

"We see this type of game here and gives is the confidence to compete," Michaud said. "And we're right there."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Oyster River softball falls to Coe-Brown in NHIAA D2 clash