By MIKE HALLORAN

Since ending its five-game losing streak, the DHS softball team has gotten hot just at the right time, as they have ripped off six straight wins including four against Patriot League competition. {sidebar id=4}

With a big win (2-0) last Monday over Silver Lake, the Lady Dragons have put themselves in position to at least tie for the title in the Keenan Division of the Patriot League with a win yesterday over Randolph.{sidebar id=1}

The much anticipated game with the 7-2 Lakers turned into the ultimate pitching battle, as Duxbury’s Casey Ducinski and Silver Lake’s Kate Stanley each threw a two-hitter in the fast-moving contest.

Ducinski would get the only run she would need in the bottom of the first inning when she led off and reached on an error. She wasted little time in stealing second, and went to third on a Jacqui Cronin sacrifice before coming home with the winning run on a passed ball.

Jamie Ducinski pitches a winner.

The junior hurler just about duplicated her first-inning effort when she walked in the third inning, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball, and came home on a wild pitch for an insurance tally.

The Lakers almost got that run back in the bottom of the third when a one-out triple gave them their best scoring bid. But Ducinski buckled down and got two fly ball outs to end the inning.

Neither team threatened the rest of the way, as Ducinski took the win with a seven-strikeout performance and no walks: a feat even more impressive when it was learned that the Duxbury pitcher had a blister on her pitching hand.

Aiding her effort was an errorless game by the Duxbury defense.

There was no letdown the following day in Scituate, where the Lady Dragons jumped out to a 1-0 first-inning lead and never looked back.

It’s becoming routine for Ducinski to lead off a game and score like she did against the Sailors. A bunt, a stolen base, a sacrifice by Cronin and a passed ball plated the Duxbury star, who cruised through the first two innings with three Ks and a hit by opposing pitcher Kelli Naegelin.

In the top of third inning Cronin reached second base on an error and went to third on a passed ball, where Kayla McGillvary singled to make it 2-0.

The Lady Dragons would add to their lead in the top of the fifth when Cronin singled, stole second, and moved to third on a passed ball. McGillvary came through again with her third hit of the game to give her team a 3-0 lead.

Kayla McGillvray

Scituate finally pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth, but could have had more if not for some poor base running and a good fielding play by Ducinski.

After Liz Foster led off with a triple, Ducinski fielded a bunt attempt and faked her throw to first. She quickly turned toward third and found Foster off the bag where she fired to McGillvary for the out. The runner moved to second on the play and scored on the second triple of the inning for the final run of the game.

Ducinski had another outstanding game scattering four hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks, while McGillvary (4 for 4/ 3 RBI) and Cronin (2 for 4/ 3 runs) took care of the Duxbury offense.

The following day Duxbury took on Marshfield in non-league action and had little trouble with the Rams in a 7-2 win.

Ducinski did it all once again, going 3 for 4 at the plate, and striking out eight Ram batters, while allowing just four hits. The Duxbury lefthander has now struck out 168 batters in 17 games.

The Lady Dragons also got timely hitting from McGillvray once again, as the junior third baseman had a pair of hits and three RBI. Forlizzi and Antonellis chipped in with two hits each.

With a play-off berth in hand, Duxbury will end its regular season schedule this week when it travels to Plymouth North on Wednesday afternoon, before returning home to face Brockton on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.{sidebar id=6}