Softball Recap: Ayer Shirley Comes Up Short

Ayer Shirley fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Gardner on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 6-5. The Panthers were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Wildcats earlier this season, when they won 13-11.

Lauren Reardon made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Marney Hoeske, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Ayer Shirley's loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 5-7-1. As for Gardner, the win (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 10-4.

Looking ahead, Ayer Shirley will host West Boylston at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. As for Gardner, they will head out to take on Maynard at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The Tigers' pitching crew has only allowed 3.1 runs per game this season, so the Wildcats' hitters will have their work cut out for them.