EHS Softball Team Nips Somerville, 7-6
The Everett High softball team earned its first victory of the season in walk-off fashion, defeating Greater Boston League rival Somerville, 7-6, in extra innings last Thursday at Glendale Park.
Celeste Fuccillo tossed all nine innings for Everett, allowing just five hits, while fanning 14 opponents and walking only two.
Fuccillo helped her own cause in the second inning when Everett grabbed a 2-0 lead. Macayla Bessler started the rally with a base hit and Bryanna Mason reached first on a Somerville error with two out. Fuccillo then came through with a base hit to deliver Bessler and freshman Emma Longmore singled to drive in Mason with the second run.
The contest remained in that status until the sixth, when Somerville erupted for three runs, with some Everett fielding miscues proving costly.
The Lady Crimson Tide struck back in their half of the inning when Alyssa Bessler singled and her courtesy runner, Sarah Dumeng, made it all the way home to tie the contest at 3-3 when Somerville threw the ball around on a hit by Ashley Fitzgerald, who ended up on third base.
After a scoreless seventh inning, the teams utilized the international tie-breaker rule to start the eighth inning in which a runner is placed at second base with none out. Somerville made the most of its opportunity, scoring two runs to grab a 5-3 lead.
Everett then had its chance in the bottom of the eighth. Kayley Rossi started the inning at second base and Macayla Bessler, the Lady Crimson Tide’s cleanup hitter, laced a single into the outfield to score Rossi. After Macayla moved to second on a ground-out and then to third on a base hit by Fitzgerald, sophomore Kristi Skane came in as a pinch-hitter and delivered a clutch base hit to score Bessler with the tying run.
The teams began the ninth inning in the same fashion. Somerville pushed across a single tally in its half of the inning, setting the stage for the exciting conclusion.
Emma Longmore took second for Everett at the start of the inning. Senior Maddy Smith then came through with a big blast for a triple, easily scoring Longmore, and Maddy herself soon came home with the winning run on a base hit by Rossi.
“We were getting the bat on the ball, but we hit it directly to people in position throughout the game until the last two innings,” said EHS head coach Stacy Schiavo. “The girls never gave up and fought until the end. Maddy Smith’s triple and Rossi’s hit were perfectly-executed.
“Celeste Fuccillo pitched an amazing game,” Schiavo continued. “After the Medford game we told her she needed to lay off outside pitches because when they come around late, they were getting a piece of the ball. She adjusted and as a result she had 14 strikeouts and allowed only five hits.”
Among the top defensive plays by the Lady Crimson Tide during the contest was a throw by Bessler, the Everett catcher, to shortstop Smith at second base to nab a Somerville girl on a steal attempt.
The day before, the Everett girls came up on the short end of a 14-2 decision to Medford. The Lady Mustangs grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on a home run and then added four runs in the second, a solo tally in the third, and three more in the fourth.
The Everett bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth. A base hit by Macayla Bessler was followed by walks to sister Alyssa and Kristi Skane and a hit batter, Fitzgerald, forcing in Macayla Bessler. The second Everett run came across on an error, scoring Sarah Dumeng, who had come in as a courtesy runner for Alyssa Bessler, the Everett catcher.
That closed the gap to 9-2, but Medford added two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth for the 14-2 finale that was halted via the mercy rule.
“This was not the best I have seen our girls play,” said Schiavo. “Routine plays that we have gone over in practice just were not executed. Our bats were not in this game at all, and without the hits and runners, we can’t score. Medford has always been a great hitting team which means we have to make the plays when we are in positions to do so.”
The Everett defense made a couple of heads-up defensive plays in the third inning. Fitzgerald threw out a Medford girl from right field on a throw to first base to take away a base hit and Smith tagged out a Medford runner who was en route from second to third when Maddie faked a throw to first after snaring a ground ball.
Schiavo and her crew have a busy week ahead, starting this afternoon (Wednesday) when they will host Malden at Glendale at 4:00. They will play at Chelsea tomorrow (Thursday); host Lynn Classical on Monday for Senior Day festivities; and travel to Lynn English next Thursday.
The team then will compete in the GBL tournament on the weekend of June 12.
EHS Baseball Team Seeking First Victory
The Everett High baseball team is scheduled to travel to Malden today (Wednesday) and will host Chelsea tomorrow (Thursday) at Glendale Park in search of their first victory of the pandemic-shortened 2021 season.
Last Wednesday the Crimson Tide came up on the short end of a 6-0 decision to Medford. “Once again we loaded the bases with nobody out, but could not come up with a timely hit,” said EHS head coach Joel Levine.
Sophomore Matthew Turilli threw five strong innings for Everett, allowing just three earned runs.
The Crimson Tide fought valiantly in an 8-5 loss at Somerville last Thursday. After spotting the Highlanders an early 1-0 lead, Everett battled back to tie with a run in the top of the fourth. Brandon Gibbs led off with an infield hit, stole second, took third on a balk, and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice.
Somerville erupted for three runs in the bottom of the inning, but once again the Crimson Tide responded with three markers in the top of the fifth to bring the contest back to level at 4-4.
Somerville continued with its cat-and-mouse game, scoring four markers in the bottom of the fifth to take control of the contest. The Crimson Tide added one run in the seventh for the 8-5 finale.
After their contests today and tomorrow, Levine and his crew will trek to Lynn Classical this coming Monday and will return home to Glendale to host Lynn English next Thursday.
EHS Girls Track Wins Tri-Meet
The Everett High girls outdoor track and field team opened its 2021 season in outstanding fashion with two victories in a tri-meet with Greater Boston League rivals Chelsea and Lynn Classical last week.
The meet was scored as a true tri-meet, with a first-place finish earning five points, three points for second, two points for third, and one point for fourth. The Lady Crimson Tide finished with 69 points, followed by Classical with 46 and Chelsea with 29.
Eduarda Bernardo was the top point-scorer for Everett with 10 points, taking first place in the 400 intermediate hurdles in a time of 1:28.3 and first place in the high jump.
Other Everett girls who took first place in their events were: Gigi Boyce in the 100 meter dash in 14.2; Anaika Accilien in the mile in 8:05.2; Lakisha Kirnon in the 110 high hurdles in 23.3; Dajana Tadic in the triple jump with a leap of 26’-3”; and Alyssa Hurley with a javelin toss of 57’-3”. Alyssa also took a second place in the shot-put with a throw of 24’-8”.
Scoring three points for Everett with second place efforts were: Leslye Rojas Rujel in the two-mile run in 17:46; Luca Jean Noel in the 400 dash in 1:32.3; Victoria Macao in the 200 dash in 31.1; and Rejeana Guillaume with a long jump of 12’-5”.
Macao added two points to the Everett side of the scoresheet with a third place effort in the 100 dash in 15.3, as did Angelee Torres in the jav with her throw of 36’-2”.
Single points for their fourth-place performances came from Macao in the javelin (32’-6”), Jessica Landaverde in the discus (30’-11”), Dajana Tadic in the long jump (11’-8.5”), Ida Bittaye in the 200 dash (32.5), and Hannah Alvarado in the 800 (3:41.8).
Everett also added 10 points thanks to first-place finishes in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.
“It was a great meet for the girls team starting the season 2-0 with a win against both Chelsea and Lynn Classical,” said EHS head coach Jehu Cimea. “Senior Eduarda Bernardo was the top performer for the girls. Overall, it was a great meet for the team running in the blazing sun.”
Cimea and his crew were scheduled to engage in tri-meets yesterday (Tuesday) with Revere and Medford and next Tuesday against Malden and Somerville.
Previlon Wins Three Events in Tri-Meet
Brendon Previlon served notice that he will be among the top track and field athletes this season in the Greater Boston League after winning three events in last week’s tri-meet with GBL rivals Chelsea and Lynn Classical.
Brendon easily sped to victory in the 400 hurdles in a clocking of 1:01.5 (his closest competitor came across in 1:19) and the 200 meter dash in a time of 22.9 (fully 1.9 seconds faster than his nearest rival). Brandon also won the high jump to complete his tri-fecta.
“Captain Brendon Previlon had a great meet, scoring the most points in the meet and running a state-qualifying time in the 200 in 22.9,” said EHS head coach Jehu Cimea. “Brendon is looking to have a great senior year.”
A number of Crimson Tide teammates also turned in outstanding efforts. Samuel Desir-Mafouana took first place in the mile with a time of 5:48; Wensley Mompremier finished first in the two-mile run in 12:35.2 (which was 2:13 ahead of the second-place runner); and Brandon Ho captured the long jump with a leap of 17’-10”. Brandon also took second place in the triple jump with a final landing of 34’-12.5”.
Samy LaMothe sped to a second-place finish in the 100 meter dash in 11.8.
Adding two points to the Everett scoresheet with a third-place effort was David Matthias in the 400 dash in 61.1. David also grabbed a fourth-place point in the javelin with a toss of 54.9.
Contributing single-points for the Crimson Tide for their fourth-place performances were Purvansh Aujila in the 800 in 3:25.2, Mervens Amazan in the 100 dash in 12.1, and Ricardo Abraham in the discus with a toss of 56’-10.5”.
The final score of the meet showed Chelsea with the top score of 70 points, Everett with 47 points, and Classical with 37.
“For a first meet back from a one-year hiatus since the 2019 outdoor season, it was great to be back and competing again,” said EHS head coach Jehu Cimea.
The EHS boys were scheduled to engage in tri-meets yesterday (Tuesday) with Revere and Medford and next Tuesday against Malden and Somerville.
EHS Tennis Teams Open Season; Girls Top Revere in Shutout
The Everett High girls tennis team celebrated its first match on the new EHS home courts at Rossetti Park in appropriate fashion with a 5-0 shutout victory over Greater Boston League rival Revere last Thursday.
Senior captain Rose Jean Pierre, playing at first singles, defeated her Lady Patriot opponent in three sets in a hard-fought battle, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Fellow senior captain Regine Georges triumphed at second singles in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2, and freshman Alanna O’Brien stepped up and clinched the victory for the Lady Crimson Tide with a win at third singles, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
In the match at first doubles, the tandem of sophomore Luisa DaSilva and freshman Yasmine Laabadla handily topped their Revere counterparts in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
Everett was awarded the final point of the day by forfeit when Revere did not have enough girls for the contest at second doubles.
EHS head coach Courtney Meninger’s 2021 squad is comprised of the following team members: Seniors Rose Jean Pierre, Regine Georges, and Danara Roseme; junior Hanadie Laabadla.; sophomores Luisa DaSilva, Yeylin Mendoza Ezquivel, Alinee Silva, Rebecca Ribeiro, and Isha Barua; and freshmen Rebecca Hickey-Schultz, Yasmine Laabadla, Allana O’Brien, Isabella Barbosa, and Kirsty Hall.
Meninger and her crew, who stand at 1-1 on the season, were set to host Malden today (Wednesday) and will play at Somerville tomorrow (Thursday). They will trek to Lynn Classical on Monday and to Lynn English next Thursday.
The EHS boys team also swung into action last week and came out on the short end of a 5-0 decision to Medford.
“We lost in straight sets to an excellent Medford team,” said EHS head coach Greg Bluestein. “We have some young talent and many first-year players.”
The boys were scheduled to play at Malden today (Wednesday) and will entertain Somerville tomorrow (Thursday), Lynn Classical on Monday, and Lynn English next Thursday at Rossetti Park.