Sophomore Shapiro has two homers and six RBIs as Winnacunnet softball downs rival Exeter

EXETER - Winnacunnet High School's Maeva Shapiro had three hits in Friday's Division I clash with Exeter. Two of those hits landed over the fence, marking home runs number five and six on the season for the sophomore catcher.

But her second homer on the afternoon was the first of sorts for Shapiro in the early stages of her high school career.

In the top of the seventh inning with the bases loaded, Shapiro, on a 1-1 count, barreled a ball and launched a blast well beyond the fence in straightaway center for her first career grand slam, powering Winnacunnet to a 13-3 win.

Winnacunnet improved to 9-2 on the season, while Exeter fell to 8-3.

Shapiro said she knew off the bat the ball would not be returning to the field of play, unless it was going back to the Warriors' dugout to give to her.

"It felt pretty good," Shapiro said of her grand slam. "Always coming up for your team just feels good. Coming to home (plate) with the team celebrating is always my favorite part; seeing everyone's faces was great."

Shapiro's first homer was a solo shot to left field. She also had an RBI single in the sixth, and finished with six RBIs.

"I was kind of just going in there thinking whatever happens happens," Shapiro said of her first homer. "If I get a pitch I see that I like, I'm going to swing at it."

Going, going, gone

Winnacunnet coach Bill Edwards knows when Shapiro gets a hold of a pitch.

"As soon as she hits them you know they're gone," Edwards said. "That (first one) was gone, and the second one was a shot, she's been tough ... she's cranking."

Winnacunnet ace and senior Maddy Eaton said it's a no-doubter when Shapiro hits the ball.

"It's so weird to explain, but the ball just kind of disappears in the air," Eaton said. "When the (outfielders) are kind of just turning, you just know it's gone. (Shapiro) can see it for herself off the bat, she starts screaming because she's a great competitor and a great asset to this team."

Hot start for Shapiro at the plate

Friday's monstrous game just adds to what has been a stellar first half of the season for Shapiro. She homered in a four-hit, four-RBI game win over Alvirne, homered and drove in three in Thursday's 7-6 loss to Salem, and homered in an 8-4 win over Spaulding.

For the season, Shapiro has 17 hits and 24 RBIs, including five multi-hit games.

"It's not so much this year, it's four or five years of working hard," Edwards said. "I'm real excited to see what she'll do next year, and the following year. She's still kind of young, but I think it's just an accumulation of a lot of hard work. I don't know a kid who puts in that much work. She's kind of getting what she deserves now, which is good to see."

Snow also homers for balanced Warrior attack

Shapiro wasn't the only Warrior to leave the yard as senior first baseman Joslyn Snow hit a two-run blast in the third, giving Winnacunnet a 5-1 lead.

"Good team win, I think up and down the lineup we hit well, which is always good," Edwards said. "We've had a much better hitting season this year than last year which is good."

Winnacunnet junior outfielder Lilly Snow had an RBI in the first, and a two-run single in the sixth. Lucy Gelbstein had three hits and two RBIs for the Warriors. Eaton also had two hits.

"(This win) was very needed after out loss against Salem, which was unexpected from us," Eaton said. "Good game, but we really needed this win."

Eaton allowed three runs on six hits, and struck out three over seven innings, earning the win.

"I couldn't have done it without my defense," Eaton said. "I put a lot of trust in my defense. I know no matter what goes in the field it's going to produce an out; our outfield was absolutely amazing today."

Exeter scores in first inning

Exeter senior Annie Christiana, after getting hit in the face on Eaton's first pitch, came around and scored in the first. Summer LeClerc tripled and scored in the fifth, and Christiana scored an unearned run in the seventh.

"It's a rivalry game," Exeter head coach Kristen Morissette said. "(Winnacunnet) took advantage of everything we gave them, they put the bat on the ball, made the plays when they had to and capitalized on our mistakes."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Shapiro grand slam powers Winnacunnet softball past Exeter