The King Philip and Taunton softball programs are not strangers, either as Hockomock rivals, or playing in monumental games, particularly against one another.
But Thursday’s showdown at UMass Dartmouth, with a trip to the Division 1 final on the line, was stoked with more emotion from the first pitch.
For Taunton, the two-time defending state champion, that translated into run-scoring singles from senior Hayley Krockta and sophomore Brooke Aldrich in the fourth inning that held up with junior lefty Sam Lincoln firing strikes throughout in a 2-0 semifinal victory Thursday afternoon.
The second-seeded Tigers (23-1) will take on No. 1 Central Catholic (23-1) on Saturday (12 p.m.), weather permitting, at UMass’s Sortino Field.
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In the decisive fourth, senior Ava Venturelli worked a walk, senior Kaysie Demoura laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Krockta lofted a single into shallow left field, scoring Venturelli. Then Aldrich knocked a single into center to plate Krockta.
“I had the same mind-set that I had the last game, looking for anything in the strike zone and catching it early, and being hungry to dominate,” said Aldrich, who doubled off the wall in left-center, continuing her hot streak after crushing a grand slam in the quarterfinals.
Lincoln was clinical in the circle, scattering three hits along with 10 strikeouts in a dominant performance. Her command shined, as did her dropball on the inside part of the plate.
“She made some good adjustments throughout and got the kids to chase a little bit, so it was great pitching by Sam,” Taunton first-year coach Michelle Raposo said of Lincoln, who is committed to Texas Tech. “[She was] Unbelievable.”
Taunton will be after its fourth title since 2018, and eighth overall.
Lincoln, who is playing her first high school season, said “It doesn’t seem real, but I’m excited because I’m with all of my friends and we’re going to do it as a team and hopefully come out on top.”
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Freshman McCoy Walsh battled all afternoon, fanning 10 along while yielding five hits, three walks, and two earned runs for KP (23-3).
Division 2 State
Burlington 3, Westfield 0 — Her first three at-bats had resulted in two strikeouts and a flyout with the bases loaded.
But Cece Imbimbo went to the plate with two outs in the seventh inning of a scoreless game brimming with confidence.
The senior worked out of an 0-2 count to mash a two-run double to right field, supplying all the offense the fourth-seeded Red Devils would need in a 3-0 victory over No. 1 Westfield in a Division 2 semifinal at Worcester State.
Burlington (20-4) will play No. 3 Tewksbury (19-5) in Saturday’s final at UMass (TBA).
Link: https://twitter.com/aj_traub/status/1669457429510209536?s=20
“My previous at-bats . . . I was getting pieces of the ball,” said Imbimbo. “All I needed to do was make solid contact. I went into that box confident. I got away with it, I got the hit. Felt really good, good to help my teammates out.”
Imbimbo also was lights-out in the circle, firing an 81-pitch (60 strikes) shutout, allowing just two hits and a walk, striking out 11.
“Getting ahead, and mixing speeds, she was hitting her spots like crazy today,” Burlington coach Kristen Farrell. “Her location work was on point today.”
Burlington couldn’t muster much against Westfield ace sophomore Shea Hurley (10 strikeouts) until Farrell told her batters thatstanding at the front of the plate and trying to hit the ball before it moves wasn’t working. Translation: step back.
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The Red Devils put the ball in play more, and a walk and an error put sophomore Mackenzie Goldsmith and junior Charlotte Willey in scoring position with two outs for Imbimbo.
Link: https://twitter.com/aj_traub/status/1669455547978883075?s=20
“She wasn’t going down easily,” Farrell said. “Mentally, she was like ‘I’m putting that ball in play,’ and she did, and not just put it in play, she roped it. She was phenomenal. Great kid. So glad it happened to her.”
Junior Morgan Ryan followed by singling home freshman Izzy Ortiz (courtesy runner) to open up the three-run lead.
“I was expecting to get a bunt, but [Farrell] had me keep hitting, which was fine,” Ryan said. “I had the perfect pitch and I just drove it.”
After issuing a four-pitch walk, Imbimbo finished it off with just four more pitches to the final in quest of the program’s first state title.
“You’ve got to your spin pitches well, you’ve got to stay confident, and you’ve got to believe your teammates have your back, and I did today,” Imbimbo said.
“I’m very very proud of my teammates. They worked their butts off this entire season. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Tewksbury 3, Somerset Berkley 2 — Samatha Ryan cruised through five innings, but with two outs in the sixth inning, the Somerset Berkley bats came to life, a three-run cushion suddenly cut to one on a homer by junior Gabriella Nugent followed by two hits and an error.
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But the senior ace and the third-seeded Redmen (19-5) buckled down and closed out the semifinal win at Worcester State.
Denied by Westfield in the final last June, Tewksbury will face Burlington Saturday.
“We’ve worked hard all year to get back here,” said Ryan, who struck out five, allowing five hits and two walks. “We knew we needed redemption. I knew they would catch on eventually, but I trusted my teammates behind me to get all of the outs that we needed to get, so I knew we would get out of it.”
Ryan scored the game’s first run on a double-steal of home after the inning was extended when Somerset Berkley was unable to turn a double play. The Redmen extended its lead to 2-0 a batter later on a RBI double by Whitney Gigante.
In the fifth, Ryan crossed the plate with the third run on an infield single by Abigail Tower and an infield throwing error. “I was getting deja vu from last year,” said Ryan. “But it felt really good and my teammates had some really good hits.”
AJ Traub and Ethan Winter reported from Worcester State.
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.