PREP SOFTBALL: Branford suffers heartbreaking loss to Trenton in Class 1A state championship

CLERMONT — The Branford defense was the definition of “bend but don’t break.” 

The Buccaneers allowed Trenton to load the bases twice in Saturday’s Class 1A state championship game, and twice the Tigers came away with nothing. 

Ellie Frierson continued to mash the ball like it owed her money, putting up a pair of RBIs and three hits in Branford’s second consecutive championship game appearance. Shortstop Cloey Criggall touched ‘em all for an inside-the-park home run, the second such instance this weekend at Legends Way Ballfields for BHS.

All the positives left several on the Bucs wondering what else they needed to do to capture their elusive first championship. But then the Tigers struck for four runs in the seventh inning to tie the game before driving in two more in extras to come away with a 6-5 win in eight innings, breaking the hearts of Bucs players, coaches and supporters. 

“I’d rather lose 20-0 than have that happen,” BHS head coach Oscar Saavedra said. “They (Trenton) did what they had to do when they had to do it.

“It is what it is. It’s just painful.”

The first six innings all pointed toward a Bucs win. Frierson struck in the first inning on the first pitch from starter Addison Allaire, knocking a grounder into left field to drive in Criggall after her leadoff single. It was Frierson’s sixth RBI of the state tournament, having racked up five against defending champion Liberty County in the semifinals. 

After the sides traded scoreless innings through the second, Criggall showed off her speed in doubling up the lead. The team captain hit a liner into right field toward a diving Presley Akins, who couldn’t come up with the ball as it rolled to the fence, allowing Criggall to score relatively easily. Criggall finished as the Bucs’ other multi-hit batter, hitting 2 of 4 with two runs scored. 

Facing off against Allaire, one of the top concerns might’ve been the freshman’s ability to strike out batters in bunches. She recorded 17 against Holmes County in 6 2/3 innings in the semifinals Friday. While she still feasted well from the circle to the tune of seven strikeouts, the Branford bats made sure to keep her off balance throughout.

Those bats finally got to her in the fifth, when a one-out single from Alex Whitfield chased Allaire from the game in favor of EmmaLee Brideson. It didn’t seem to matter to Frierson, who promptly lined a ball just inside the third-base line to score Whitfield on an RBI double. 

The next at-bat saw third baseman Madyson Sikes drive Frierson in with a base hit to left for the 4-0 advantage. 

While building that lead, BHS starter Laila Arnold did whatever she needed to preserve the shutout. The Tigers (23-2) left 10 runners on base throughout the afternoon, highlighted by bases-loaded situations in the fourth and sixth innings. Each time, Arnold mustered a strikeout to end each frame while, in the later stages of the game, nursing what looked to be a left foot injury. Arnold finished with six strikeouts while allowing six walks and 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings. 

Saavedra said even with the injury, Arnold was good to go for however long she wanted. 

“We have other pitchers, great pitchers, but she’s been in this situation before,” Saavedra said. “So you’ve gotta go with experience, and that’s what we did. We’ll try again next year.”

But just as they’d done Friday against Holmes County, the Tigers saved their most dramatic and best for last. Leading 4-0 after six innings, the Bucs (24-7) just needed three outs for their title. Two leadoff singles from Jessica Johnson and Akins sparked a rally, with Allaire driving in courtesy runner Addilynn Welbers on a sac fly before Olivia Weaver ripped a pitch into the right-field gap for a 2-run triple. Needing just one out to clinch the game, the Bucs couldn’t manage as Brideson found the same piece of real estate as Weaver for the game-tying RBI double. 

While the Bucs managed to get to extras — and even take the lead thanks to another Frierson RBI single — the Tigers took advantage of a bobble at third from Sikes to put runners on the corners for Jessica Johnson. Johnson’s dribbler back to the circle seemed to catch Arnold in an awkward position, with Arnold looking toward home as courtesy runner Aubreigh Brown came down the line before turning to first for the out there. That left Akins to complete the comeback with a bunt single to Criggall, who had no play at the plate as the Bucs walked off the field as runners-up yet again. 

Saavedra said he was nearly speechless after the game. 

“I was at a loss for words,” he said. “‘Why does it happen to us?’… It was meant to happen for (Trenton)."

As for the future, the Bucs are still in good shape. The team looks to return every single starter from this season. While it isn’t much consolation for players like Frierson who’ve now twice lost leads in championship games, she echoed Saavedra’s comments in saying the loss should add that much more to the effort to get back next season. 

“That’s the worst way to lose,” Frierson said. “This does nothing but make you want it more.”