CONCORD, N.H. — On most days, the stellar six-hit performance delivered by Timberlane starting pitcher Alexa Salafia would have been more than enough for a tournament victory.
Unfortunately for the Owls, they ran into a buzz saw in Concord’s Maddy Wachter on a cold, wet and blustery Saturday afternoon.
Wachter threw a perfect game, setting all 21 Timberlane batters down in order, with 10 strikeouts, to lead top-seeded Concord to a 3-0 victory over the No. 9 Owls in the Division I Quarterfinals on Saturday.
“Their pitcher was great today,” said Timberlane head coach Eric Schoenenberger. “She was mixing up her pitches, and she had us wondering what was coming next. Her rise ball at the end was really working. We were hoping to get her pitch count higher, but she set us down early and that really hurt us.
“We played a great game today. We had very solid defense, and Alexa pitched well. They just had a few hits were we weren’t.”
The perfect game was the first no-hitter of Wachter’s high school career. She is part of a two-pitcher rotation for the Crimson Tide.
“She has never had a performance like this,” said Concord coach Duke Sawyer. “This is her third year, and that’s her first no-hitter. She mixed up her speed, and her rise ball was working well. She was all over the zone, and got ahead on the hitters.”
Timberlane’s Salafia was nearly as good. The junior allowed just the six hits and one walk, striking out four in a complete game. At one point, she retired five in a row and nine out of 10.
“Lexi pitched an equally impressive game,” said Schoenenberger. “She mixed up her pitches well and did everything she could do for us.”
Added Sawyer: “(Salafia) gives us fits. She did in the regular season, too. We didn’t score an earned run off her in the last game. She mixes it up well, she changes speed and I’m glad we don’t have to see her again this year.”
Concord took the lead in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to a hit batter, a single and an RBI fielder’s choice. The Crimson Tide added RBI singes in the third and fourth, accounting to all of their offense.
Timberlane’s best shot at a hit was in the fourth, when Chaunda Poulin hammered a fly ball to the warning track. But it was caught.
Poulin also made a brilliant diving play at shortstop, gathering herself and firing across the diamond to cut down the Concord runner and save possibly two runs. First baseman Madison McFadden had a few strong picks at first base.
Concord’s prize for the victory is a semifinals matchup with No. 4 Salem on Tuesday (7 p.m.) at Plymouth State.
“Salem has an amazing lineup,” said Sawyer. “They have great hitters 1-9. They hit a lot of very hard. It’s going to be a real challenge.”
Concord 3, Timberlane 1
New Hamphire Division I Quarterfinal
Timberlane (0): Matarazzo 2b 3-0-0, Poulin ss 3-0-0, O’Leary cf 3-0-0, Alexa Salafia p 2-0-0, Patles 3b 2-0-0, McDonald rf 1-0-0, Ashlee Salafia dp 2-0-0, Salerno c 1-0-0, Cordeiro c c 1-0-0, McFadden 1b 2-0-0. Totals 21-0-0
Concord (3): Moreira rf 3-0-1, Taylor 3b 3-0-1, Bolduc 3b 0-0-0, Stearns 1b 3-0-0, Wyatt ss 3-0-1, Craige lf 3-0-2, Wachter p 2-0-0, Hackett 2b 2-0-0, Dupuis ph 1-0-0, Crawford cf 3-0-1. Totals 26-3-6
RBI: Taylor, Stearns, Crawford
WP: Wachter; LP: Salafia
Timberlane (13-7): 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 1
Concord (18-1): 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 — 3