How did Lincoln win the D-II softball title? The only way it knew how.

PROVIDENCE – Giving up a comfortable lead and trailing by two in the fifth inning would have been enough to derail plenty of teams.

But the Lincoln softball team was right where it wanted to be.

Nobody was better playing from behind better than the Lions and after Saturday, nobody in Division II was better than them either. The offense came up with the perfect response to a deficit and Molly Ganim showed poise that goes far beyond her years, as she shut down Ponaganset the rest of the way and helped Lincoln close out a 9-6 win to give the program the D-II title.

“It was just amazing. I’ve never felt anything louder,” said Ganim of the postgame celebration. “I’ve never heard anything louder. It just felt crazy.”

It looked like Lincoln had the game won in the first inning, right up until it looked like a coaching decision was going to cost it dearly.

Ponaganset showed its nerves for the first time this season, letting defensive miscues give the Lions four runs in the first inning. Lincoln gave one back with an error of its own in the third and in the fourth, Ganim surrendered a two-out RBI single to Hayleigh Mooney that made it 4-2.

The freshman didn’t come out for the fifth, as coach Alyssa McCoart elected to go with Kayleigh Gouchie. It’s a move McCoart has done plenty this season – starting one and using the other in relief – but Saturday was one of the few times where it backfired.

Claire Barrett greeted Gouchie with a single, which was followed by an RBI double by Cora Miller. With momentum now in their dugout, the Chieftains scored two more runs before McCoart went back out to get Gouchie and put Ganim back in the circle.