EHS softball team wins season-opener
The Everett High softball team opened its season with a 17-8 triumph over Melrose last Tuesday.
Junior Ariana Garay pitched all seven innings, allowing four earned runs and six hits, while striking out eight enemy batters, to earn the win.
The Lady Crimson Tide jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the top of the first. Sophomore Haley Oteri, who had reached third on a slap attempt which resulted in an overthrow at first base going into outfield, had the distinction of scoring the first EHS run of the season when she scored on a triple by senior Kaylee Nearen, whose three-bagger also brought in junior Veronica Bento, who had drawn a walk.
Although the Everett lead proved short-lived when Melrose scored three runs in its half of the inning on a three-run homer, the Lady Crimson Tide regained the advantage for good with a five-run outburst in the third.
A bases-loaded single by Maddy Duraes scored teammates Elizabeth Peach (who had singled) and Oteri (who had walked). Bento, who had reached base on a bunt single, scored on a ground-out by Maddy Smith, and Garay followed with a base hit that produced two more tallies, bringing in Duraes and Rachel Zullo (a courtesy runner for Nearen, who had walked).
After Bento made a nice defensive play at second base to put Melrose away for a scoreless-third, the Everett bats went back to work in the fourth to make it a 12-3. A two-run triple by Duraes, which brought in Oteri (who had single) and Bento (walk), was followed by another RBI-hit by Nearen. After Smith was hit by a pitch, a base hit by Garay scored Ashley Yebba (Nearen’s courtesy runner) and Smith eventually scored on a ground out.
The Lady Crimson Tide added to its margin in the fifth starting with a base hit by Peach and a walk to Oteri. Base hits by Bento to score Peach and by Nearen to score Oteri upped the count to 14-3. Garay then came through with another hit to deliver Ben to for a 15-3 Everett bulge continued her offensive onslaught with a hit that brought in Peach and
Melrose rallied for four runs in the sixth, but the Lady Crimson Tide sealed the deal with two more markers in the top of the seventh, with sophomore Macayla Bessler
“It was extremely cold and raw outside and it was only the second time being on dirt and real grass after practicing all spring on turf,” said EHS head coach Stacy Poste-Schiavo. “Coach (Jennifer) Nigro and I knew how cold the girls were, but they did an unbelievable job stepping up to the plate and making contact. Ariana did amazingly-well pitching. It is very hard to pitch in these conditions, but she really did a great job and her defense backed her up when Melrose did make contact.”
Two days later the Lady Crimson Tide came up on the short end of a 6-4 decision to Latin Academy. After grabbing a 2-0 lead in the opening inning thanks to a pair of LA errors, Everett returned the favor with an error and a passed ball that deadlocked the contest at 2-2 after three frames.
The Lady Crimson Tide made some noise in the fourth to regain the advantage when Garay singled and scored on a triple by Smith, who herself scored on a ground-out. However, a pair of EHS errors in the bottom of the frame set the table for a three-run homer to make it a 5-4 contest. LA added an insurance marker in the fifth for the 6-4 finale.
Freshman Celeste Fuccillo, who pitched all six innings in her varsity debut, yielding just five hits and three earned runs while fanning five opponents and walking only one, deserved a better fate.
“This was not the team we know,” noted Poste-Schiavo afterwards. “We are so much more capable of hitting and we fell short of that. The errors we made cost us runs which is never good when the offense is not on. Celeste did a great job her first time pitching for the Crimson Tide.”
The Lady Crimson Tide’s contest with Revere on the holiday on Monday was washed out, but the game was rescheduled.
Busy week ahead for EHS baseball
The Everett High baseball team will have a busy stretch of four games in a nine- day period this coming week. Coach Joe Lento’s squad was washed out of its contest with Revere on Monday and was shooting to make that up yesterday (Tuesday).
The Crimson Tide will travel to Lynn Classical today (Wednesday) and make the short trek to Somerville next Monday before returning home to host Lynn english next Wednesday.
Lento’s crew opened the season with a 5-2 loss at non-league foe Winchester last Monday. Everett held a 2-1 lead going into the fifth inning thanks to RBI base hits by Brandon Gibbs (to score D.J. Warren) and captain Jonathan Fitzgerald (that brought in Mike Sullivan, who drawn a walk with two outs).
Senior left-hander Evan Mallard showed signs of dominance on the mound, fanning nine Winchester hitters and allowing only two hits on the day. However, six bases-on-balls proved costly, and that allowed Winchester to forge ahead in the fifth.
“Overall, we played well for a season-opener,” said Lento, “but we clearly have a number of things to work on.
“I was pleased with our play in the field,” added Lento, whose squad did not make any errors on the day, “but we ran into a good pitcher.”