< Back to front page
Text size
–
+
Another MVP season for Amos
When
Rich Cullen got home after watching his Malden High softball team lose
in the most bizarre ending to a game he’s ever seen, the coach just
needed to relax.
Following a stunning 3-2 loss to top-seeded Central Catholic in the
North Division 1 quarterfinals last Monday in Lawrence, Malden’s season
was over.
Cullen couldn’t believe it.
“I just needed some time to decompress after all of that,’’ he said.
Kiara Amos, the Golden Tornadoes’ sophomore ace, had just pitched the best game of her career, holding the potent Central offense to one earned run in nearly seven innings of work.
The two-time Greater Boston League Most Valuable Player was dialing it up in the late innings, overpowering the Raiders’ hitters on her way to seven strikeouts.
But with a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Amos found herself facing Central’s Kayla Maloney in an at-bat that would eventually decide the game.
Following a stunning 3-2 loss to top-seeded Central Catholic in the
North Division 1 quarterfinals last Monday in Lawrence, Malden’s season
was over.Cullen couldn’t believe it.
“I just needed some time to decompress after all of that,’’ he said.
Kiara Amos, the Golden Tornadoes’ sophomore ace, had just pitched the best game of her career, holding the potent Central offense to one earned run in nearly seven innings of work.
The two-time Greater Boston League Most Valuable Player was dialing it up in the late innings, overpowering the Raiders’ hitters on her way to seven strikeouts.
But with a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Amos found herself facing Central’s Kayla Maloney in an at-bat that would eventually decide the game.
One out away from the upset of the tournament, there were runners at
the corners. Amos had gotten the second out on a strikeout, steaming
her signature fastball over the plate.
But Maloney roped a base hit into the right-center field gap, easily scoring the runner from third to tie the game.
Representing the winning run, Brianna Martin took off from first and then took a wide turn at second, colliding with Malden shortstop Jen Tamindzija. Martin dropped to the dirt, clutching her right arm.
With Martin on the ground in obvious pain, Maloney dashed past her teammate and made it to third base, ordinarily a base-running mistake that would have resulted in the third out.
But the umpires ruled that Martin had been obstructed by the Malden shortstop, and not only awarded her third base, but also sent her home for the game-winning run.
The Malden players were stunned, and Cullen was nearly speechless. He thought there would have been a play at the plate had Martin not fallen down, and in his eyes, she would have been thrown out.
“It might be the right call,’’ he said, “but that’s a tough way to end the game.’’
Tamindzija explained the play afterward, saying that she had turned to cut off the throw from the outfield when the collision occurred.
“I didn’t see her and she ran into me,’’ the senior said. “I thought I was out of the base path, but maybe I was in her way.
“The game shouldn’t have ended that way, though. We should have been on top and everyone knew it.’’
Amos had a hard time controlling her emotions following the loss, but as she tried talking about the game, countless fans approached her. They gave her nothing but kind words, awestruck at the way she handled the Raiders for 6.2 innings before falling short on the last play. Central had scored 17 runs in its tourney opener.
“That was one of the best pitching performances I’ve ever seen,’’ Tamindzija said.
Spectators lined the Central Catholic field for the game, surrounding every open viewing area of the diamond, peering in from the outfield fence, and sitting six rows deep behind home plate.
They had watched Amos contain a high-powered offense that lost just a single game on its way to a 20-win regular season. The Raiders picked her apart the first time they met in April, scoring 17 runs in a five-inning affair.
But that only angered Amos, who is known among her teammates as a fiery competitor who pitches better when she’s mad.
“When I get aggravated or mad, it only makes me throw better,’’ said Amos. “This was definitely my best game of the season. I mixed up the pitches. I didn’t give them stuff over the plate. I made them work for their hits.’’
Cullen has seen it many times from Amos, who took the GBL by storm last spring during her freshman year with a 15-3 record and a 0.79 ERA.
There was no hiding how badly Amos wanted that game. She even said a quick prayer before her final at bat in the top of the sixth inning, something she only does when she really needs a boost. She then drove in the go-ahead run to give Malden a 2-1 lead; a bomb to the left field fence that was just inches from exiting the park.
Though Amos hit a respectable .302, she ruled the mound, tossing 104 innings in the regular season, including a pair of no-hitters. She went 14-7, struck out 148 batters, walked just 27, and finished with an ERA of 1.81 while reclaiming her GBL MVP title.
At practice last Sunday, Cullen offered up some praise.
“I want you to think about something,’’ he said to Amos. “Your high school softball career isn’t even half over. You’ve accomplished a lot. You’ve had very few bumps in the road so far, but when you have had one, you’ve risen to the occasion.’’
And while the Golden Tornados may have seen their season come to an end on a wacky play, Amos will be back next spring for another run.
“She wanted to go out and prove to herself and to [Central Catholic] that she’s a good pitcher,’’ Cullen said. “And I think she did that. I think she proved that she’s a top-flight high school pitcher.’’
Jason Mastrodonato can be reached at jmastrodonato@globe.com.
But Maloney roped a base hit into the right-center field gap, easily scoring the runner from third to tie the game.
Representing the winning run, Brianna Martin took off from first and then took a wide turn at second, colliding with Malden shortstop Jen Tamindzija. Martin dropped to the dirt, clutching her right arm.
With Martin on the ground in obvious pain, Maloney dashed past her teammate and made it to third base, ordinarily a base-running mistake that would have resulted in the third out.
But the umpires ruled that Martin had been obstructed by the Malden shortstop, and not only awarded her third base, but also sent her home for the game-winning run.
The Malden players were stunned, and Cullen was nearly speechless. He thought there would have been a play at the plate had Martin not fallen down, and in his eyes, she would have been thrown out.
“It might be the right call,’’ he said, “but that’s a tough way to end the game.’’
Tamindzija explained the play afterward, saying that she had turned to cut off the throw from the outfield when the collision occurred.
“I didn’t see her and she ran into me,’’ the senior said. “I thought I was out of the base path, but maybe I was in her way.
“The game shouldn’t have ended that way, though. We should have been on top and everyone knew it.’’
Amos had a hard time controlling her emotions following the loss, but as she tried talking about the game, countless fans approached her. They gave her nothing but kind words, awestruck at the way she handled the Raiders for 6.2 innings before falling short on the last play. Central had scored 17 runs in its tourney opener.
“That was one of the best pitching performances I’ve ever seen,’’ Tamindzija said.
Spectators lined the Central Catholic field for the game, surrounding every open viewing area of the diamond, peering in from the outfield fence, and sitting six rows deep behind home plate.
They had watched Amos contain a high-powered offense that lost just a single game on its way to a 20-win regular season. The Raiders picked her apart the first time they met in April, scoring 17 runs in a five-inning affair.
But that only angered Amos, who is known among her teammates as a fiery competitor who pitches better when she’s mad.
“When I get aggravated or mad, it only makes me throw better,’’ said Amos. “This was definitely my best game of the season. I mixed up the pitches. I didn’t give them stuff over the plate. I made them work for their hits.’’
Cullen has seen it many times from Amos, who took the GBL by storm last spring during her freshman year with a 15-3 record and a 0.79 ERA.
There was no hiding how badly Amos wanted that game. She even said a quick prayer before her final at bat in the top of the sixth inning, something she only does when she really needs a boost. She then drove in the go-ahead run to give Malden a 2-1 lead; a bomb to the left field fence that was just inches from exiting the park.
Though Amos hit a respectable .302, she ruled the mound, tossing 104 innings in the regular season, including a pair of no-hitters. She went 14-7, struck out 148 batters, walked just 27, and finished with an ERA of 1.81 while reclaiming her GBL MVP title.
At practice last Sunday, Cullen offered up some praise.
“I want you to think about something,’’ he said to Amos. “Your high school softball career isn’t even half over. You’ve accomplished a lot. You’ve had very few bumps in the road so far, but when you have had one, you’ve risen to the occasion.’’
And while the Golden Tornados may have seen their season come to an end on a wacky play, Amos will be back next spring for another run.
“She wanted to go out and prove to herself and to [Central Catholic] that she’s a good pitcher,’’ Cullen said. “And I think she did that. I think she proved that she’s a top-flight high school pitcher.’’
Jason Mastrodonato can be reached at jmastrodonato@globe.com.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Waiting for Twitter to feed in the latest...