Nevills, Wolverine softball earn walk-off win

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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor

The Westwood High School varsity softball team put together arguably their best performance of the 2017 season on Friday afternoon, taking down TVL rival Holliston at home, 2-1, in thrilling walk-off fashion.

Dana Bamford earned the win for the Wolverines following a solid effort on the mound.

Centerfielder Shannon Rooney also played a critical defensive role in Westwood’s ability to hold the Panthers (7-7) to just one run, tracking down a deep fly ball that would have resulted in extra bases in the top of the fifth before tracking down a line-out in the top of the sixth to strand a Holliston runner at second base.

With the score knotted at one in the bottom of the seventh inning, Emily Dukeman mashed a triple to put the winning run at third base with one out.
However, Holliston was able to thwart Dukeman from crossing home by getting a strikeout and a pop-out to second the end the inning, leaving Dukeman stranded at third and extending the game into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth inning, Bamford continued to excel by retiring the Panthers in order, giving her team another chance to win it in the bottom of the eighth. Courtney McCue led off the bottom of the eighth for Westwood with a single before advancing to second on a passed ball. A groundout to second base advanced McCue to third, giving Simone Nevills the chance to be the hero. On a one-and-one count, Nevills drove an outside fastball into right field to plate McCue and win the game for Westwood in dramatic fashion.

With Friday’s win, the Wolverines (4-10) have now won three of their last five contests after taking down Dover-Sherborn 18-1 on May 4, followed by a 9-7 win at non-conference opponent Foxboro on May 9. Westwood will look to continue their winning ways when they host Medfield on May 18.