Sammy Malafronte drills an RBI single.

Photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.

The Mt. Hope softball team shutout Woonsocket 6-0 in Division II loser’s bracket quarterfinal game at home on Monday night. The Huskies move on to the semifinals at RIC on Thursday at 5 p.m. They will face the loser of the winner’s Bracket final between Ponaganset and East Greenwich that will be played on Wednesday. 

“We are hitting the ball very well,” said Huskies’ head coach Craig Giarrusso. “I think we’ve turned the corner.”

Huskies flame-throwing ace Reily Amaral stymied Woonsocket using multiple pitches and even wowed the Woonsocket fans with the zip on her fastball. She fanned 11 Villa Novans, scattered 4 hits and didn’t allow a run. The senior also provided punch on offense, belting two doubles, driving in two runs and scoring two runs. Amaral didn’t show any signs of injury with the toe of her drag foot, which head coach Craig Giarrusso was worried about towards the end of their previous win over Johnston last Thursday.  

Amaral reached first base on an error to lead off the second inning and came around to score when senior first baseman Sammy Malafronte drilled a double into the left centerfield gap to give Mt. Hope a 1-0 lead. 

The Huskies had the bases loaded in the third with one out, but Woonsocket pitcher Rylie Forcier induced a pair of first pitch pop-ups to get out of the inning. 

The Huskies broke out for three runs in the fifth inning. Forcier hit Julia Allen and then walked Sydney Crowell to give Mt. Hope runners at first and second with one out. Amaral stepped to the plate and smashed a double to the left centerfield gap. Both Allen and Crowell came around to score to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead. Malafronte walked to give Mt. Hope runners at first and second again in the fifth. Hailey Ferreira smashed a fly ball to the left centerfield gap, this time Villa Novans’ left fielder Aaliyah Mitchell made the catch. Amaral was able to score on a throwing error to give Mt. Hope a 4-0 lead. 

Allen and Crowell both scored again in the sixth inning. Allen singled, moved to third on a single by Crowell and scored on a ground out by Ava Waddell. Crowell scored on Amaral’s second double of the game to give Mt. Hope a 6-0 lead. 

The Huskies defense turned a double play in the fourth inning. Forcer singled with one out. Second baseman Hailey Ferreira snared a line drive by Aje’ana Coleman and threw to Allen covering second base and she tagged out Forcier for the second out. Ferreira also made three pop fly catches in the final three innings.