The Londonderry High School Softball squad finished off the regular season last week on an eight game winning streak, going 9-1 in the month of May and heading into the playoffs at 17-2 overall.
The Lady Lancers exceptional run put them on the top of the Division I standings with a 17-2 record and the #1 seed heading into the state championship.
The LHS team was very busy in the final week of the regular season, winning the four games they played, three of which were by shutouts.
On Monday, May 20, Londonderry hosted the Windham Jaguars, and handed them their seventh loss of the season.
In the 5-0 Lancer victory, Ginny Flaherty and Olivia Cutuli hit homeruns and Abby Austen produced a double for the team’s extra base hits that helped in the win.
Cutuli was also the winning pitcher, striking out 16 Jag batters, walking only one, and giving up just one hit.
Flaherty had three RBIs and Cutuli had one in the victory.
The following day, at Merrimack High School, the team tallied five of the seven innings and outpaced the Tomahawks 8-2.
Elisabeth Kearny was extremely tough in the circle, pitching a complete game, matching the previous strikeout total of 16, walking four, and giving up four hits for her ninth win of the regular season.
Extra-base hits went to Flaherty and Vivian Belanger, both hitting doubles.
Addie Browning, Cutuli and Flaherty each had two hits in the game, with Browning getting three RBIs.
Overall, the LHS team had 11 hits in the contest.
The Lancers played their third game in Hudson, easily getting by the Alvirne Broncos 14-0.
It only took Londonderry five innings to decide this one, with the LHS bats producing 15 hits and striking out two times.
Cutuli was the winning pitcher, throwing in three innings with seven strikeouts, one base on balls, and allowing two hits.
Riley Campo had a big game at the plate, going 4-4 with a homerun, two doubles, and four RBIs.
Cutuli was three for four at the plate, including a triple and a double and driving in two runs.
Browning and Zoey Nelson also came away with doubles in the game.
In the team’s final game before the playoffs, Cutuli got her eighth win of the season, helping the team to a 7-0 shutout over Dover in Londonderry.
The Lancers scored all their runs in the first two innings, getting five in the first and two in the second.
Cutuli was 3-3 at the plate and Kearney went 2-3 with two RBIs.
Cutuli and Kearney combined efforts in the circle, striking out 16 batters and walking one and allowing two hits.
The Lancers will head into the the Division I State Championship as the Number One Seed and get to sit out the first round of the playoffs.
The team’s first game is scheduled for Satuday, June 1, at 4 p.m. at home against the winner of the game between the Windham Jaguars (#8) and the Merrimack Tomahawks (#9).