Tiverton softball captures Div. III state softball title over Davies Tech

PROVIDENCE — After coming up short in the Division III finals a season ago, the Tiverton softball team wasn’t about to let another championship slip through its grasp.

The Tigers achieved redemption with an 8-4 win over Davies  in Game 2 of the best-of-three championship series on Sunday afternoon to complete the sweep and bring the first softball championship back to Tiverton since 2002.

“We knew we could get back here if we worked hard enough,” Tigers head coach Josh Mello said as dried off after a celebratory ice bath. “This is a goal we had set. To make sure we got here was one thing, but to push it to the next level...we always strive to improve, so it feels unbelievable.”

Davies outhit Tiverton, 11-9, but wasn’t nearly as opportunistic with its extra baserunners. The Tigers, meanwhile, cashed in on some seven errors committed by the Patriots.

Giavanna Mattera went 3-for-4 with three RBI singles for Tiverton, including a second-inning base hit that scored Mikayla Andrews to break open the game’s scoring and put the Tigers on top for good.

It was the first of seven unearned runs Tiverton would record off of Davies pitcher Abby Choiniere, who walked one and struck out six. The only run Choinere was directly responsible for didn’t come until the top of the seventh inning, when Margeaux Souza doubled to plate Jaimi Vaillancourt to give the Tigers a 7-1 lead.

Souza’s double was the lone extra base hit for Tiverton in the game.

“We always stress being aggressive and playing hard, aggressive fundamental softball,” Mello said. “We always want to keep our foot on the gas pedal. If we keep doing that, we take advantage of other team’s mistakes.”

Souza pitched a complete game for the Tigers, giving up four runs — three earned — on 11 hits while walking one and striking out seven.

She gave up four straight hits in the top of the seventh inning with the Patriots down to their final out, the mini-rally breaking up a string of eight straight batters she’d retired. Fittingly, Souza recorded the final out of the game herself by fielding a comebacker off the bat of Maddy Brassard before firing on to Vaillancourt at first base to secure the title.

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it,” Mello said, noting that his father, Art, was head coach of Tiverton’s previous champion 16 years ago. “That ice bath feels pretty good. We’re definitely going to enjoy it for a while.”