AMHERST — It became more and more clear as the Division 3 softball final progressed on Saturday that whoever had the last swing might be champions.
Fortunately for Katie Holmes, it was her Dighton-Rehoboth squad that was the home team against Hudson. Fittingly, it was senior Lucy LaTour who capped her career in perfect fashion as her double scored Haleigh Kelley to give the Falcons a 4-3 win.
“It’s so fitting that it came down to someone like Lucy,” said an emotional Holmes. “I had no doubt she was going to come through.”
LaTour’s walk-off hit was the final salvo on a day that saw the teams combine for 24 hits and a bushel full of spectacular defensive plays. None was bigger than Cam Cloonan’s in the top of the seventh that cut down Audrey Lenox at home trying to give Hudson the lead.
Kelley got aboard via a leadoff error in the bottom of the inning. LaTour didn’t waste much time in ending the proceedings as she smacked a double up the right center gap, easily scoring a sliding Kelley to spark the Falcons celebration.
“We were lucky that we had the last at bat,” Holmes said. “We knew it was going to be a game where we had to match them hit for hit, run for run because they’re so gritty and don’t give up.”
The Falcons (23-3) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Cloonan’s hot bat remained scorching. The second baseman ripped her fifth two-run homer in the last four games to break the ice.
Hudson (18-7) wasted little time in returning the favor as Lenox led off the third with an opposite field homer to right. Singles from Sam Collette and Liv Connolly preceded a double from Taylor Attaway that tied the game.
The Hawks eventually loaded the bases and Livy Souza delivered a two-out single that scored Sydney Walsh for a 3-2 lead.
It stayed that way into the fifth when Caleigh Cloonan led off for D-R with a single. After stealing second, she came home on LaTour’s second hit of the game.
“It’s so great for our seniors to go out this way,” Holmes said. “They are a great group of leaders and young ladies.”