Lynch, Krockta lead high-powered Taunton softball offense over Foxboro

FOXBORO— Batting can be one of the most challenging things in sports. The pressure of going one-on-one with the pitcher, with your team relying on you to get on base or advance the runner, can get in your head and make it even more difficult.

But if you can clear your head, ignore the noise and focus on the task at hand, it can work wonders, and that’s exactly what happened for Taunton softball Friday.

The Tigers high-powered offense was on full display as they beat the Warriors 15-1 in six innings of Hockomock League action for their 10th straight win to improve to 11-1 on the season.

Taunton batted around and scored six in the first inning before Foxboro struck back as the first four batters all advanced to first to score a run, but then the Tigers buckled as pitcher Liv Mendonca and Katie Larson gave a combined four hits over the next five scoreless innings while the offense added two more runs in the fourth, four in the fifth and three in the sixth.

“Every game poses new challenges and different things to work through and today was a good example of when things aren’t going your way necessarily or are out of your control to stay positive and work through them and keep working and I think they all did that,” Taunton coach Carrie Consalvi said. “We had great energy today, they kept that energy elevated and didn’t get frustrated with things and I’m very proud of them.”

Leading the way at the plate for the Tigers were two of their most consistent hitters, Angie Lynch and Hayley Krockta. Lynch went three-for-four with with a walk, two runs and five RBIs, four of which came off a fifth inning grand slam, while Krockta went two-for-three with two runs and three RBIs, two of which came off a fourth inning home run.

Taunton’s Angie Lynch jumps onto home plate and into the arms of her teammate after hitting a grand slam in a a game against Foxboro.

For Lynch, a key part of her success was staying out of her head and just going with the flow at the plate.

“Usually I go up to the plate with so much going on in my head and it doesn’t help me with me swinging, but today I was a whole new person,” Lynch said. “I didn’t even think about it at all, I just did it.”

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Just relaxing and going with the flow was truly key.

“I went into the game with no certain idea of what I want to do and how I want to do it,” Lynch said. “I just went with the flow so I feel that helped me out on the offensive side.”

For Consalvi, the work Lynch has been putting in has been noticeable.

““For Angie I know she’s been working through some things and just clearing the noise upstairs and staying nice and loose at the plate and just having some fun and it’s starting to really come through for her,” Consalvi said. “You can see when she’s up at the plate, it’s effortless for her when she takes out the thought processes up there, so she’s hitting the ball well and making great contact right now and I hope it just rolls on.”

Taunton’s Hayley Krockta (file photo)

For Krockta, it was much of the same, and the energy coming from her teammates on the bench cheering her on certainly helped.

“I know I went in loose trying to keep my head up and trying to not do anything big, just put the bat on the ball and get it in play and then I will say the energy from the dugout really helps to just build confidence at the plate,” Krockta said.

It’s what Consalvi has said she’s come to expect from her junior first baseman.

“Hayley’s been hitting the ball well all season,” Consalvi said. “She easily could be three and four in the lineup but usually sits five and kind of protects those other guys and she’s been batting around .650 all season. Whether it’s a line drive that drops in here or a home run over the fence, she just keeps putting up hits so I’m very proud of her.”

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After a six run fourth, in which Lynch, Kaysie Demoura, Ava Venturelli, Krockta, Brooke Aldrich and Kylie Thorpe all found their way home, the Tigers went two scoreless innings before a walk in the fourth put Demoura on base and she came home off a two run shot to right center by Krockta.

“It’s like this feeling where you’re loose and don’t expect it, you’re just putting the bat on the ball and once you see it go it really just hits you like ‘I just hit that out,'” Krockta said.

A pair of singles from Larson and Thorpe to start the fifth put two runners on base and a walk to Kyleah Plumb loaded the bases, setting the stage for Lynch who, on a one and two count smacked the ball over the left field fence for a grand slam to put Taunton up 12-1.

“I didn’t even feel it, it just went,” Lynch said. “I felt so good about it because I didn’t even expect it, it just happened.”

Taunton’s Angie Lynch before hitting a grand slam in a game against Foxboro.

Lynch would drive home another run in the sixth, one of three that the Tigers plated in the inning to go up 15-1 before Larson retired the side in order to enact the mercy rule and secure the win.

“We’re definitely gaining momentum with our defense and as you’ve seen kind of consistently all year these guys don’t get rattled,” Consalvi said. “They’ll put some runners on but they’ll get right to work. They don’t let it rattle them and they do a nice job out there. They did what we needed to get done.”

Mendonca earned the win as she went three and a third innings giving up eight hits, a run and a walk while striking out six and Larson went two and two-thirds innings giving up a hit while striking out four.

“My pitching duo, they couldn’t be any more different but really both get the job done for us very well,” Consalvi said. “They kept their heads down, worked hard and really showed their strength out there as a duo.”

The win marked the 10th straight victory for Taunton, who are now 11-1 on the season and head into a matchup Monday with the only team to beat them this year in their Hockomock rivals King Philip.

“I’m feeling positive,” Consalvi said. “These guys have been working and getting better and we look forward to facing one of our great rivals that’s a good team. I love that we’re on our home field and we look forward to taking care of business.”

The Tigers saw other notable offensive performances from Plumb, who went two-for-three with a run and a pair of RBIs while Thorpe went three-for-four with three runs and an RBI and Aldrich went two-for-four with a run and a pair of RBIs.

For Foxboro, Emma Callahan was credited with the loss after going four and a third innings giving up 12 hits, 12 runs and five walks while striking out two while Angelina Rifai went one and two-thirds innings giving up three hits, three runs, two of which were earned, and two walks.

Callahan also led the way at the plate for the Warriors, going two-for-three with a run.

Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Lynch, Krockta lead high-powered Taunton softball offense over Foxboro