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Colonels blank Otter softball in first game

BRANDON — The Otter Valley Union High School softball team struggled in its first game of the season against visiting Brattleboro on Saturday, when Colonel Hailey Derosia tossed a five-inning no-hitter for the Colonels. Derosia struck out 14 of the 17 batters she faced as Brattleboro defeated the Otters 15-0.
OV Co-Coach Kelly Trayah said the combination of the competition and the circumstances proved to be too much for the Otters.
“Because of the weather we weren’t able to get any scrimmages in, and this is the first live pitching we’ve seen,” Trayah said. “It’s natural we’re going to have a few cobwebs to work out, and Derosia is one of the best pitchers in the state.”
The Otters’ first eight batters went down on strikeouts before Derosia gave up her first baserunner on a walk. After recording the next out, she struck out six of the next seven batters, giving up only an additional walk as the Otters could not get anything going against the fireballing pitcher.
OV’s Morgan LaPorte, however, in her first trip to the mound, got knocked around by the talented Colonels.
LaPorte gave up three runs in the first inning and two in the second before the Colonels batted around in the third frame and scored six. The Otters were able to hold Brattleboro scoreless by retired the Colonels in order in the fourth inning, but gave up four more runs in the last inning, enough to end the game after five due to the mercy rule.
The Otter defense committed six errors, all leading to scoring by the Colonels.
“I thought Morgan did well, she maintained her composure up there,” Trayah said. “We need to get the outs and shorten the innings. We made too many errors.”
Co-Coach Toni Poalino said the team is still working out the kinks and trying to find their best defensive alignment, but there were a few bright spots in the tough outing.
“(Shayla) Phillips tracked the ball well in the outfield,” Poalino said. “Compared to where she was last year, her game has improved remarkably. She’s building confidence.”
The Otters need to shake off all of the early cobwebs as they take on a tough Rutland team on Tuesday.
“We actually got to go watch Rutland play last week,” Poalino said. “Our game got canceled, so we went to watch them play. That may be one time the weather will have helped us out this season.”

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