Tyngsboro’s Kaylie Cashman ready for state softball championship game

Tyngsboro’s Kaylie Cashman lays down a bunt in a state semifinal victory. Tyngsboro will play for a softball state title on Sunday. (Photo by James Thomas)

TYNGSBORO – Tom Petty once sang that “the waiting is the hardest part.”

Kaylie Cashman can definitely relate.

Fresh off the Tyngsboro High softball team’s emotional 8-4 victory over Pittsfield in the Division 4 semifinals on Wednesday, the Tigers’ left fielder was ready to make the long road trip with her team in Amherst to face top-seeded Joseph. Case during the championship round Friday afternoon.

But as they reported to practice Thursday, Cashman and his team learned that Mother Nature had other ideas.

With torrential rain predicted, the MIAA opted to postpone the game until Sunday at noon, giving the team a few extra days to prepare for the big game.

“It’s both good and bad, because we were ready to go into the championship game,” Cashman said. “We felt ready after Wednesday’s game, but now we know we’re going to do a full hitting practice and a full defense practice over the next few days. So it still worked in our favor.

The second-seeded Tigers (22-2) advanced to the final with big wins over Bellingham (14-1), Millbury (10-1), South Hadley (4-1) and Pittsfield (8 -4).

Joseph Case, meanwhile, topped West Bridgewater (22-0), Northbridge (13-0), Hampshire Regional (11-3) and Advanced Math and Science (2-0), paving the way for a worthy finish.

According to Cashman, the team remains focused on meeting the challenge despite the delay.

“We look good,” Cashman said. “We are looking in a ready form.”

One of six seniors on the team, Cashman competed in the team’s first-ever championship three years ago, working doubles, moving from the JV to the varsity ranks on a daily basis.

Back then, it wasn’t just about fielding, but rather giving the team a little more dynamism on the basepaths.

“I ran for catcher and pitcher a few times,” Cashman said. “When I was on base, it was the most stressful thing I did. I couldn’t even imagine being on the field at the time. But it was just a great feeling knowing that we won it that year.

Since that time, however, Cashman has grown and now enjoys her status as the team’s starting outfielder. She formed an incredible bond with senior tri-captain Carly DiMento at center field and sophomore Kaelyn DiMento at right.

The Tyngsboro outfield provided Gold Glove-style defense all season, with several game-saving catches during the team’s lengthy postseason campaign.

Against South Hadley, Cashman made a key catch to deny Arc Powers in the first inning, while Kaelyn DiMento robbed Ryley McMahon of a home run with a jumping catch to the right-field fence in the fifth. Both games featured pitcher Kiley Hogan’s one-hitter in a 4-1 victory. Against Pittsfield, Carly DiMento killed any hope of a Pirates comeback, making a diving catch on a Paxton Ebling drive in shallow center to end it.

“We’ve been on fire this year,” Cashman said. “Our defense in the outfield has been incredible, we’ve maybe missed two or three balls all season. We always push each other every game.

Even on the rare occasions when they made a mistake, the team’s no-nonsense approach always gave them the right attitude to move forward.

“We know we’re not done if we make a mistake,” Cashman said. “If we have intensive training, we do drills on the field and on the field even longer. We are always training and pushing ourselves. We are always there when it is game day.