Brackett's Blasts Lift Hoosac Valley in State Tourney

ADAMS, Mass. – Trinity Brackett almost did not make the starting lineup for Hoosac Valley on Wednesday evening.

 

She ended up making all the difference in a 12-6 win over Lenox to advance to the Division 5 State Quarter-Finals.

 

Brackett, the Hurricanes’ lone senior, went 2-for-4 with the first two home runs of her varsity career and six RBIs as Hoosac Valley advanced to the Round of 8 and a date with No. 3 Hopedale, a 12-0 winner over David Prouty in their Sweet 16 game.

 

Brackett was part of a power surge at the bottom of the lineup for Hoosac Valley.

 

No. 8 hitter Ashlyn Lamke and Brackett combined to go 4-for-8 with two homers, two doubles and eight runs batted in.

 

“I can’t believe Trinity,” Hoosac Valley coach Mike Ameen said. “You can’t write the script better: Senior year, your last game.

 

“And, actually, I was going to let her play the field, but I was gonna flex for her. It was a game-time decision. I had Alayna [Shears], who has been ill, but she’s back. I said, ‘You know, what, Trinity swung the bat pretty well against the last team we played. So I’ll let her bat. It’s her last home game.’

 

“She made me look like a good coach.”

 

Brackett, understandably, could not stop smiling when it was over.

 

“It was amazing, especially because they were back-to-back,” she said of her first round-trippers. “This might have been our last game today, so it felt great that I could put a few more scores on the board for us.”

 

Hoosac Valley needed to keep scoring to keep one step ahead of the Millionaires.

 

The Hurricanes jumped on top with a five-run first inning that included an RBI single from Rachael Wnuk.

 

But Lenox answered with a solo home run to left by Lilly MacDonald in the top of the second and two runs in the top of the third to make it a 5-3 game.

 

Evelyn Julieano and Hailey Armold each doubled, and Grace Julieano and MacDonald each drove in a run in the third inning to get Lenox within two.

 

In the bottom of the third, Hannah Lord and Gracelyn Witek each hit their way on base ahead of Brackett, who lifted the ball over the fence in right field to make it 8-4.

 

Again, the Millionaires had an answer.

 

Lexi Witherell worked a leadoff walk and eventually scored on an error in the top of the fourth, and then she sacrificed in a run in a two-run fifth that cut Hoosac Valley’s lead to 8-6.

 

“We just kept telling them, don’t get down, don’t get down, don’t get down,” Lenox coach Amy Pires said. “And we got some good hits. We did start coming back. Unfortunately, they had the bigger bats this game.

 

“We knew this was going to be another battle. We expected this to be a tough game.”

 

In the bottom of the fifth, Hoosac Valley’s Ella Bissaillon singled, and Lamke reached on an error with one out ahead of Brackett, who went to left field this time for a homer to make it 11-6.

 

Gracelyn Wright did the rest, pitching around a two-out double in the sixth and leaving two runners on base in the seventh to close out the game.

 

Lamke doubled in a run in the bottom of the sixth to provide some extra insurance.

 

Ameen said that even with a five- or six-run margin late, he was not comfortable against Lenox, which handed Hoosac Valley a 5-3 setback back in early May.

 

“We were a combined [38-4] coming in, right?” Ameen said. “And they battled us. I wasn’t taking anything for granted, even in the last inning. They can come back. They hit the ball well. They put the ball in play. That’s a quality team.

 

“I’m excited about the win because it means something.”

 

And the teams could have some more meaningful matchups next year. Like Hoosac Valley, Lenox graduates just one starter, Armold, from Wednesday’s game.

 

“I’m already looking forward to next year,” Pires said. “These girls, heck of a season. First time Lenox has won the league and an undefeated [regular] season is nothing to hang their heads about. So we made sure we reminded them to stay proud.”