Calm and composed; Senior ace setting the tone for red-hot Apponequet softball team

DARTMOUTH — Lauren Bernaiche doesn’t make it easy on the opposition.

Against every batter she faces, the Apponequet senior battles.

“She’s been like that all year,” said Apponequet head coach Nate Farrington. “She’s working counts, not giving up at bats. That’s her biggest strength; getting ahead and when she does get behind, she doesn’t give away at bats. She doesn’t give away walks easily.

“It helps when you work ahead. She’s able to trust her defense and go from there.”

With Bernaiche delivering on the mound and at the plate, the Lakers beat Dartmouth 8-0 on Friday afternoon in non-league softball action at Quinn Elementary.

It was Apponequet’s fifth straight win and 13th in the past 14 games. The Lakers' lone loss during that stretch was to Dighton-Rehoboth 5-4 on May 13.

“We just have a really good group of kids,” Farrington said. “They’ve been playing softball their whole lives and they’re good at what they do. They make my job easy.

“When I came in two years ago, I didn’t make them better softball players. They showed themselves what they’re capable of and they just rode that. They’ve had the talent all along and now they’re showing it.”

In Friday’s power rankings, the Lakers were ranked No. 2 in Div. 3. They reached the Elite 8 a year ago.

VOTE: Softball Player of the Week for May 13-19

“We’ve got to show up every game we play,” Farrington said of the upcoming tournament. “Last year we were the 12 seed going into places being the underdog. This year we’re hoping to get a higher seed when it comes out and we’re not going to have that underdog role. People are going to be coming for us.

“Anybody can beat anybody. It’s a one-and-done tournament so we have to make sure we’re focused and ready.”

Bernaiche set the tone early, striking out the first two batters she faced. She went on to scatter three hits with 13 strikeouts and no walks over seven scoreless innings for the complete-game victory.

“She’s really relaxed,” Farrington said. “She doesn’t let a lot get to her. Even when there’s a big hit for the other team; it’s reset and on to the next pitcher.”

Bernaiche said she tries to stay calm when she’s pitching.

“I don’t really show emotion on the mound,” she said. “I like to be relaxed and composed. That helps me hit my spots.”

Teammate Caleigh Venuti added, “When she’s consistently hitting the corners and she’s got that speed, it throws the hitters off their game and it really helps having her out there.”

Bernaiche also had a big day at the plate against Dartmouth, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

“She’s been one of our better hitters all year,” Farrington said. “Pitching and hitting, she’s really done a lot for us this year. I’m hoping that it continues moving forward.”

More: See where SouthCoast teams stand in newest spring 2024 MIAA tournament power rankings

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lakers went up 1-0 in the first inning when Bernaiche drove in Christina Magnett, who had reached on a single and stole a pair of bases. Apponequet added a run in the third when Morgan Saraceno scored on a sac groundout from Magnett. The Lakers went up 3-0 in the fifth when Magnett scored on an RBI single from Bernaiche. Kate Sunseon’s RBI groundout, scoring Hailey DaRosa, made it 4-0 entering the seventh. That’s when Venuti hit a deep shot over the left field fence for her first career grand slam.

“I had a tough day at the plate. I was already 0 for 2,” Venuti said. “I took a deep breath and I said, ‘First pitch, I’m going to go at it.’ When I connected on the bat, I was hoping for the best and I saw everyone going crazy so I’m glad I could help out in some way.”

WHAT IT MEANS

Apponequet, which captured a share of the South Coast Conference Blue Division title with Dighton-Rehoboth, improved to 16-4. Dartmouth fell to 10-9.

COACHES CORNER

“We just couldn’t get the bats going. We couldn’t get anything strung together. Their pitcher did well. I think we definitely struggled against her this time.” — Dartmouth coach Beth Arguin

STATS

Eva Zuber went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored while Magnett was 1-for-2 with two walks, two RBIs and three runs scored. Venuti was 1-for-4 with the grand slam. For Dartmouth, Sarah Cabral, Hannah Garcia and Olivia Rapoza each had a hit. … Megan Arruda pitched a complete game, allowing eight runs on 11 hits and two walks and two hit batsmen while striking out four.

Apponequet 8, Dartmouth 0

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WP: Lauren Bernaiche; LP: Megan Arruda

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Apponequet softball beats Dartmouth for 13th win in past 14 games