EHS Roundup
EHS baseball team wins two contests
The Everett High baseball team received outstanding pitching performances from Jason Hennessey and Jaili Marinez to post a pair of victories over Northeastern Conference rivals Lynn English and Marblehead this past week.
In a 3-1 triumph at English on Monday, Hennessey went the entire seven-inning route, allowing just four hits and one earned run, that marker coming in the third when English took a 1-0 lead.
However, the Crimson Tide battled back in their half of the fourth frame with a two-out rally. A base hit by Bryan Bessler and a walk to Evan Reynolds set the table for Monte Mack, who came through with a clutch double that brought around both teammates.
Monte himself scored moments later on a line-drive base hit by sophomore designated hitter Greg Reed.
That would prove to be the extent of the Everett offensive attack for the day, but it proved more to be than enough support for Hennessey, who shut down the Bulldogs the rest of the way for the victory.
Last week Marinez turned in his gem in a 12-1 rout over Marblehead. Jalil tossed the first five frames before yielding to junior Nate Scott, who closed out the win.
Reed delivered the key blow of the contest, a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double that powered the Tide to a 10-run third inning from where Everett cruised to the victory. Bessler, Mack, Reed, and Nick Colantonio all had two hits for Everett in the rout.
Coach Joe Lento and his crew now stand at 5-10 on the season and are set to host Somerville today (Wednesday). The Crimson Tide then are off until Tuesday when they will meet Methuen. They trek to Lynn Classical next Wednesday and will close out their season over the Memorial Day weekend in the Peabody tournament.
Everett softball team defeats Wilmington, 4-3
The Everett High softball team put it all together last Thursday to earn a well-deserved 4-3 victory over Wilmington at Glendale Park.
Lady Crimson Tide starting pitcher Ariana Garay turned in an impressive performance, tossing the full seven-inning route and allowing just seven hits, while striking out three and walking four opponents.
Another key to the victory was the strong defensive play by the Lady Crimson Tide, who backed up Garay’s strong effort on the mound with some outstanding fielding.
The Everett defense asserted itself from the outset of the contest in the top of the first. Wilmington put together a base hit, sacrifice bunt, walk, and another base hit to produce a run, but solid fielding by the Lady Crimson Tide kept Wilmington from doing further damage in the frame.
Wilmington made it 2-0 with another solo tally in the third, but Garay and the Everett defense left two Wilmington runners stranded.
Sam Uga belted a home run to lead off the Everett third, cutting the margin to 2-1, and the Lady Crimson Tide took the lead in the fourth with a pair of a markers.
Kaylee Nearen walked and, after a sacrifice bunt, took third when Wilmington left no coverage at the base.
Lyanna Arrington then drilled a rocket in the hole between third and short which was misplayed by the Wilmington left fielder, who allowed the ball to skip past her. Nearen easily scored and Lyanna herself sped all the way home for a 3-2 Everett advantage.
The Lady Crimson Tide added an insurance run in the fifth when Maddy Duraes doubled and scored on a triple by Nalani Marinez.
Wilmington made life uncomfortable for Everett in the top of the seventh. After the lead-off batter walked, a base hit placed runners at first and second. That was followed by an Everett error, loading the bases.
A base hit brought in one run, leaving the bases loaded with none out. But at that point the Everett defense proved its mettle. A line drive was snagged by the Everett third baseman, who then tagged out the Wilmington runner who was off the bag for a nifty double play.
The next Wilmington batter grounded out to end the game.
“This was a big win for us,” said EHS head coach Stacy Poste. “Wilmington is a great team in their league and we played at their level. We still didn’t hit as well as I would have liked, but we made the plays on defense. Wilmington had the bases loaded in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, but we were able to stop them each time.”
The Lady Crimson Tide did not fare as well in their two contests earlier in the week, dropping decisions of 9-4 to Beverly last Monday and 16-4 to Marblehead last Wednesday.
In the Beverly encounter, Hailey Powers delivered a two-run triple that scored teammates Uga and Diana Concannon in the bottom of the first that gave Everett an early 2-1 lead. Beverly took advantage of some Everett fielding miscues in the fourth to push across four runs, but Everett responded with a solo marker in the fourth thanks once again to the bat of Powers, whose two-out double brought in Izza Bourouis, who had walked, to make matters 5-3.
However, Beverly tacked on four more markers in the seventh to put the game away. Everett struck back for a single tally in its last at-bat, with Marinez doubling home Concannon, who had singled, but it was too little, too late.
“If we took away those errors in their two big innings, this was one of the best games we’ve played,” said Poste. “Our outfielders saw a lot of action and they made plays where they could have allowed Beverly to score more, but held them.
“Hailey Powers has stepped up her hitting,” continued the coach. “She was in a funk for awhile, but has been hitting hard and has been solid in the batting lineup the past few games.”
In the loss at Marblehead, the major highlight for Everett was a three-run homer in the top of the first by Marinez that scored teammates Powers and Duraes. However, the Lady Crimson Tide’s lead proved to be short-lived, as Marblehead struck back with four runs of their own in the bottom of the frame.
The contest remained close at 6-4 in Marblehead’s favor through four innings, but the Lady Magicians struck for nine runs in the fifth to put the game on ice.
The Lady Crimson Tide play at Somerville today (Wednesday) and travel to Revere tomorrow (Thursday).