Everett Little League will open its 60th anniversary season on Saturday, April 28 with the traditional parade that will begin at 11 a.m. at the old Everett High School building and end at Sacramone Park.
Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. will have the honor of throwing out the first ball of the season during opening day ceremonies at the park.
League president Michael Vitukevich said that 405 players will compete in the youth baseball program. Approximately 80 new players are from the former Everett Cal Ripken League that has merged with Everett Little League this season.
Vitukevich said the league will utilize three fields: Sacramone Park, Edith Street Park, and Swan Street Park. There are seven Major League teams and eight Minor League teams.
The league will field one 12-year old team that will compete in the District 12 Tournament that ultimately produces the New England representative for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. ELL will also field four teams that will compete in the Jimmy Fund Tournament.
EHS Roundup
Poste reaches 200th career victory milestone
The Everett High softball team defeated Latin Academy, 10-3, last Wednesday on the local field to give coach Stacy Poste her 200th career victory, a feat reserved for only the elite among those in the schoolboy coaching ranks.
“It is a great feeling and accomplishment. However, I cannot take any of the credit on my own,” said the humble Poste. “I want to thank all the players and coaches who helped me achieve this goal. I have had great coaching staffs over the years and have worked with great assistants by my side.
“The past few years I have had the privilege to be coaching with my high school coach, John Nuzzolo, with whom I accomplished a great deal when I was playing,” Poste continued. “He never gave up on me and pushed me to becoming an all scholastic pitcher in 1991. I was happy when he returned because we have similar styles of coaching, which I obviously have learned from him. So sharing this coaching achievement with John is very important to me.”
Poste also thanked her first mentor, her father. “I watched my dad coaching while growing up and he was more of a, ‘Let me show you what you are doing wrong’ type of person, instead of yelling at his players. He still comes down to watch my team play when he is not coaching his baseball team. I love to see him still involved with sports and me. I learned from him that yelling at the players would only make them shut down. I think that is why Nuzz and I have such a great relationship with our girls. Coaching isn’t about just wins and losses, it is the relationship you build with the girls and making them better people both on and off the field.”
As for the game, EHS hurler Franki Perreault was in charge throughout the contest, hurling all seven innings, allowing just two hits and two earned runs.
After Latin grabbed a 1-0 edge in the top of the first, the Lady Crimson Tide took control with a four run outburst in the third frame. Taylor Sweeney began the rally with a base hit and a stolen base. Alea Martinelli singled, moving Sweeney over to third, from where Taylor scored on a fielder’s choice by Erin McLaughlin.
With Martinelli on second, Janyne Sierra drove the ball to right field that turned into a triple. Another error on a hard hit grounder to short stop by Brianna Uga brought in Sierra and Uga eventually came around on a ground out by Tori Cyrus fielder’s choice. “This inning we hit the ball when needed, but two players were too aggressive on the bases and got thrown out trying to reach third,” noted Poste. “We like to see aggressiveness, but we need the girls to slide when needed and watch where the ball is.”
Latin got one back in the fourth, but Everett responded with a solo marker in the bottom of the frame when Sweeney singled and stole second. Martinelli bunted Sweeney over to third and then Taylor took advantage of Martinelli trying to reach second on the play and scored.
The Lady Crimson Tide then put the game away with five tallies in the fifth. Sierra led off the inning with a home run. After Uga doubled, Cyrus socked a two run roundtripper to make it 8-2. With two out, Vicki Burge drew a walk and the scored on yet another Everett homer, this one by Sweeney. “The girls hit well and into the gaps in this inning,” said Poste. “It was nice to see them gain confidence with this type of hitting.
Poste and her crew set out in quest of win number 201 yesterday (Tuesday) at Somerville and will travel to Cambridge tomorrow morning for a 10:00 contest. They will stay on the road to Marblehead next Tuesday.
EHS baseball team opens with split
The Everett High baseball team opened its 2012 campaign with a split in its first week of play, defeating North Shore Tech in the season opener, 8-0, but then falling to Methuen5-2.
Junior righthander Zerif Pajazetovic was the big story in the shutout victory over North Shore, tossing a complete game two-hitter with 10 strikeouts. “Zerif was superb,” said EHS head coach Joe Marchese, who noted that Pajazetovic needed only 70 pitches over the seven inning route to get the job done.
Matt Pothier struck the biggest hit of the game for the Crimson Tide, a two run homer.
Friday’s encounter with Methuen was a close affair, with Everett trailing by a slim 3-2 margin entering the fifth inning. However, some costly Everett fielding miscues allowed Methuen to push across two markers to open up some space.
Pothier went all the way on the mound for Everett and deserved a batter fate. “Matt pitched a fine game in his first career varsity start,” said Marchese. “He gave us a chance to win, but we didn’t make the plays behind him.”
The Everett bats also did not provide a lot of support, as the Crimson Tide managed just three hits on the afternoon, two by senior Matt Cafarella, who also stole two bases. Jonathan DiBiaso had the only other Everett safety.
The Crimson Tide have a busy week on tap: They were set to host Somerville yesterday (Tuesday); host Cambridge tomorrow at 10:00; travel to Marblehead Saturday morning at 11:00; and then journey to St. John’s Prep Tuesday afternoon.
EHS boys track falls to Malden
The Everett High boys track team won nine events in its meet last week against Malden, but a lack of depth in some events proved to be too much of a shortcoming, allowing Malden to prevail by a score of 79-56.
Turning in first place finishes for the Crimson Tide were: Jason Mendoza, who outran the field in the 800 in 2:17.4; Jonathan Mendez in the 400 in a personal record (PR) time of 53.2; Andres Tejada in the 200 with a PR of 23.6; Steven Ho with a shotput heave of 33-6.5; Jaylen McRae with a long jump of 20-6.5, that qualifies Jaylen for the State Divisional Meet; Brendan Jefferson with a discus toss of 40-5; and Daniel Plunkett with a javelin throw of 120-3.
Both of the Crimson Tide relay teams also outran their Malden counterparts. The 4 x 100 quartet of Soufiane Fdal, Jonathan Mendez, Andres Tejada, and Jaylen McRae crossed the line in 46.9, while the 4 x 400 foursome of Ricky Perez, Mendoza, Louis Franco, and Donaldo Joseph sped to glory in 3:57.4.
Second place finishes were turned in by Hieu Vo Tran in the high jump with a PR leap of 5-6; Jefferson in the shot with a toss of 33-2; and Ho with a javelin throw of 118-7.
Adding one point to the Everett scoresheet with third place efforts were Alex Repucci in the 400 in 58.4 and Tejada in the long jump with a leap of 18-6.
“We put forth a good effort and had some nice performances,” said EHS head coach Shelanda Irish of her boys’ squad.
Katie Steeves is a double winner for girls
Katie Steeves won two events for the Everett High girls track team in their meet last week against Malden, capturing the long jump and the 200 dash. Katie’s winning distance in the long jump was 15 feet, five inches, a personal record that is just four inches short of qualifying her for the State Divisional Meet. In the 200 dash she sped past the field in a time of 29.5 seconds.
Kathy Pham was another individual winner for Everett, taking the high jump with a leap of 4-2. The Lady Crimson Tide 4 x 400 relay team of Serina Welch-Shull, Katie Steeves, Jess Mangan, and Emila Ponikiewski also earned first place honors in a time of 4:59.9.
The javelin proved to be a highlight for the Everett side, as the Lady Crimson Tide swept the event. Jackie Steeves led the way with a toss of 76-10, followed by teammates Sophia Pinabel (74-3) and Zoulikha Madkour (72-1).
Everett received some strong second place performances from a number of the Lady Crimson Tide: Maeve Kernan in the two mile in 13:18; Welch-Shull in the 400 in 70.2; Mangan in the mile in 6:29.2; and Jackie Steeves with a discus twirl of 64-9.
Adding single points for their third place finishes were: Elspeth Colson in the 400 hurdles in 130.3 and in the 100 hurdles in 22.3; Ponikiewski in the 800 in 2:54.1; and Amanda Nabasaliva with a shotput throw of 25-0.
Everett High School April sports schedule
Thursday, April 19
10:00: Baseball vs. Cambridge
10:00: Softball at Cambridge
Saturday, April 21
11:00: Baseball at Marblehead
Tuesday, April 24
4:00: Baseball at St. John’s Prep
4:00: Softball at Marblehead
Wednesday, April 25
3:35: Boys tennis at O’Bryant High
Thursday, April 26
3:45: Softball vs. Malden
3:45: Boys tennis at Somerville
4:00: Baseball at Malden
Friday, April 27
3:45: Girls tennis at Somerville
4:00: Softball vs. Lowell
Saturday, April 28
11:00: Baseball vs. St. John’s Prep
Monday, April 30
3:45: Girls tennis at Malden
4:00: Softball at Whittier Regional