EHS Baseball Earns Two Thrilling Victories
The Everett High baseball team earned a pair of exciting victories this past week in contests with Greater Boston League rivals Medford and Somerville.
In the Crimson Tide’s 16-15 triumph over the Medford Mustangs last Tuesday, the Tide offense produced 16 runs on 12 hits to claim the win. Matt Turilli threw five-plus strong innings, giving up five earned runs in the no-decision.
Everett jumped out to a 14-6 lead after five innings, led by multiple players who had multi-hit games: Alex Velasco was 2-for-3 with four runs scored; David Saia went 2-for-5 with three RBI and four runs scored; Alex Lara was 2-for-3 with two runs scored; and Enrico Vega went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.
Unfortunately, Everett could not hang on to its eight-run lead, surrendering nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a multitude of walks and hits. However, in the top of the seventh inning, the Tide were able to push across two runs to retake the lead.
Lara came on to pitch a scoreless bottom of the seventh to earn the W”.
“As a coach, especially in the sport of baseball, it’s important to preach mental toughness,” said EHS head coach Joel Levine. “You can’t get too high when things are going well, and you can’t get too low when we are struggling.
“I thought our kids showed great resiliency after having a really difficult inning and surrendering such a large lead,” Levine continued. “It would have been very easy for them to have gone down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, but they didn’t. They fought and their great efforts were rewarded with a victory.”
The Tide pulled out their second one-run win of the week three days later with a 5-4 triumph over Somerville in a thriller at Glendale Park, marking their third victory in their last four games.
Everett senior Omar Marshall was sensational on the mound, throwing a complete game in which he allowed just four runs while striking out six Highlanders over the seven-inning route.
With the score tied at 1-1 game in the bottom of the fifth and Marshall on third base, Velasco (2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored) smashed a single to left to deliver Marshall with the go-ahead run.
However, Somerville brought the game back to level with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth and took a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh.
However, once again the Tide mounted a last-inning rally. Trailing by one with runners on second and third with one out, Nordeivy Santana singled down the third base line to bring in both runners for the walk-off victory.
Saia (2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored), Santana (1-for-3 with a run scored), and Lara (1-for-2) also had hits for Everett.
“For the third time in our last four games, we entered our last at-bat trailing and ended up winning the game,” said Levine. “Something like that just shows you how much the kids believe in one another and they don’t give up. Besides a walk-off win to get us into the tournament in our last game of the season in 2019, this was as exciting a win as I have ever experienced as any sort of coach here in Everett.”
Sandwiched between the two victories was a 5-0 loss to GBL rival Malden last Wednesday.
“We were unable to get much going offensively,” said Levine. “We outhit them five to three, but some defensive blunders cost us a few runs early in the game and we were unable to recover.”
Starting pitcher Lara deserved a better fate on the mound. Alex went four and two-thirds innings in which he yielded just two hits and one earned run. Saia, Santana, Lara, Turilli, and Nick Gilbert all chipped in with hits for the Tide.
“It just wasn’t our day at the plate or in the field,” noted Levine. “I have liked our approach at the plate over the past few games and really think we are headed in the right direction as a team.”
Levene and his crew, who stand at 4-5 on the season, were set to take on Chelsea this past Monday and will travel to Lynn Classical today (Wednesday). They will host Lynn English next Monday at Glendale at 4:00 and will travel to Somerville next Monday.
EHS Boys Track Remains Undefeated
The Everett High boys outdoor track and field team remained undefeated with an 82-54 victory over Chelsea last Thursday.
Leading the way for coach Jehu Cimea’s squad was junior Shane MacKenzie, who out-distanced a strong contingent of Red Devil rivals to capture first place in both the discus and the javelin.
Shane won the discus with a toss of 108’-8.5” (which was nine feet longer than his closest rival) and took the javelin with a throw of 117’-8” (which was 16 feet longer than his nearest Chelsea foe) to score 10 points on the day.
“Shane continued his outstanding throwing season with two more wins in the javelin and discus,” noted Cimea.
Junior teammate Jason Stark completed a sweep of the throwing events for the Tide with his victory in the shot-put with a toss of 38’-5”, which was a personal record (PR) for Jason.
The Crimson Tide dominated the field events, taking 22 of the possible points in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump.
Junior Khang Nguyen (18’-4.25”), senior Adail Costa Fernandez (17’-4.5”), and junior captain Jalen Jones (37’-1.5”) went 1-2-3 in the long jump, as did the trio of junior captain Jayden Prophete (5’-0”), junior Donald Michel (5’0’), and Jones (5’0”) in the high jump.
The duo of Costa Fernandes (39’-4”) and Jones (37’-1.5”) went 2-3 in the triple jump.
Senior captain Shinay Aristhene led a Crimson Tide sweep in the 110 high hurdles with a PR of 17.9, followed by teammates Michel (with a PR of 18.2) and Owen Beauvil (with a PR of 18.8).
Shinay also took second place in the 400 hurdles with a clocking of 1:05.2 to tally eight points on the day.
Other first-place finishers for Everett were: Senior Anthony Cooper in the two-mile run in 11:58.5; freshman Kayshaun Eveillard in the 400 dash in 53.1; and senior Matth Telson in the 800 in 2:14.2
Adding three points with second-place finishes were: senior captain Samuel Desir-Mafaouana in the mile (5:23.8); junior Jeremiah Jeanlouis in the 100 dash (11.9); and Jones in the 200 dash (23.9).
Contributing single points with third-place efforts were: senior Fludjy Moise in the 400 dash (55.4); sophomore David Huezo-Erazo in the two-mile (13:18.9), sophomore Elijah Lassiter in the 400 hurdles (1:05.4); and Jaiden Williams in the 200 dash (24.2).
The Crimson Tide quartet of Eveillard, Williams, Jones, and Prophete won the 4 x 100 relay with a clocking of 46.2, easily outsprinting their Chelsea counterparts, who finished in 51.1
“This was a great win by the boys’ team to continue their winning streak and to stay undefeated in the season,” said Cimea. “This team, when they’re down, they never say down. When everything was going wrong for us to start the meet, we got up and kept fighting and it showed in this meet.
“The meet changed for us once we got to the 4×100,” Cimea added. “That win changed the momentum of the meet in our favor.”
Cimea and his crew, who now are 3-0, sought to keep their undefeated streak going when they took on Lynn Classical yesterday (Tuesday). They will trek to Lynn English next Tuesday.
Desrameaux Sets New EHS Mark in Discus
Junior captain Darrynn Desrameaux broke another EHS school record, this time in the discus, with a throw of 92’-8”, easily topping the previous mark of 90’-5”, to lead the Everett High girls outdoor track and field team to an 84-41 victory over Chelsea last Tuesday. Darrynn now holds two EHS records, having established a new standard of excellence in the shot-put two weeks ago.
The Lady Crimson Tide captured first place in nine more of the 13 individual events: Junior captain Suzanne Maharjan in the two-mile with a personal record run of 15:47.7; senior captain Nyla Crowder in the 100 dash with a sprint of 13.5 and in the high jump; senior captain Luca Jean Noel, who led an EHS sweep in the mile with a time of 7:19.2; junior Victoria Macao in the 400 dash in a clocking of 1:12.9; sophomore Milena Antonio, who led an Everett sweep in the 800 with her time of 3:07.8; sophomore Yelsa Garcia in the 200 with a dash of 26.4; junior captain Nicole Brandao in the long jump with a leap of 13’-8.75”; and junior Malaica Guillaume with a PR of 30’-6” in the triple jump
The Everett quartet of senior captain Ida Bittaye, Garcia, senior Jessica DeSouza, and Crowder also won the 4 x 100 relay with a clocking of 56.2, which was 3.7 seconds faster than their Chelsea counterparts.
Adding three points to the Everett scoresheet with second-place performances were: Macao in the javelin (69’-8”); junior captain Latla Betancur-Cardona in the shot (30’-2.5”); Bittaye in the long-jump (a PR leap of 13’-5.5”); freshman Isabella Pimenta in the 200 dash (27.2); sophomore Sonia Flores in the 800 (3:20.4); Brandao in the 110 hurdles (a PR of 18.3); junior Tiffany Escobar in the mile (7:24.8); and sophomore Zyelle Cannon in the 100 dash (14.2).
Contributing single points with third-place efforts were: Guillaume in the 400 hurdles (1:26.9); junior Nicole Ramos Fonseca in the mile (7:52.4); Bittaye in the 110 hurdles (a PR of 19.2); freshman Casey Martinez in the 800 (3:21.2); and junior Tina Allen in the javelin (66’-5”).
EHS head coach Jehu Cimea and his squad, who are now 1-2 on the season, took on Lynn Classical yesterday (Tuesday) and will trek to Lynn English next Tuesday.
EHS Softball Clinches Spot in State Tourney
The Everett High softball team punched its ticket for a Journey to the Tourney with a pair of victories this past week over Greater Boston League (GBL) opponents and a non-league triumph over O’Bryant High.
In a 17-5 victory over Malden last Wednesday at Glendale Park, the Crimson Tide jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening inning, keyed by a three-run homer by Kayley Rossi.
Everett made it 7-0 with three more markers in the second thanks to an RBI double by Kristi Skane (that scored teammate Emma Longmore, who had singled) and another double by Ashley Seward (that brought in Emilia Babcock, who had singled, and Skane).
Malden struck back for four runs in the third on the strength of three hits and three errors by the Everett defense.
“Defensively, this was not our inning,” said EHS head coach Stacy Poste-Schiavo. “We dropped routine fly balls and balls that bounced away from us.”
However, the Crimson Tide put the game away with six runs in the fourth to move out to a commanding 13-4 advantage. A solo home run by Babcock, a three-run blast by Gianna Masucci, and a two-RBI double by Longmore did the damage.
The Everett long-ball barrage continued in the fifth, with Seward delivering the roundtripper. Masucci also hit what would have been a homer, but she was held at third by Poste-Schiavo, thereby delaying the onset of the mercy rule, to enable some more Everett hitters to get a chance at the plate. The inevitable finally occurred when Jules Curran came through with an RBI double for the 17-5 finale.
Skane earned the win, tossing all five innings in which Kristi struck out six, walked one, allowed six hits, and yielded three earned runs.
“Kristi pitched great,” noted Poste-Schiavo. “We had one bad inning defensively, but we got right back up to the plate and made up for it.”
Leading the stat sheet for the Crimson Tide were: Emma Longmore 3/4 (2 singles and a double, 2 RBIs); Emilia Babcock 2/4- (1 single and HR); Kristi Skane-4/4 (3 singles and 1 double, 1 RBI); Kaylee Rossi -2/4 – (1 single and HR, 3 RBIs); Ashley Seward- 3/4-(single, double, HR, 2 RBIs); and Gianna Masucci-2/3- (2HR, 3 RBIs).
Last Thursday, Poste-Schiavo and her crew trekked to O’Bryant High in Boston and came home with a 12-2 triumph that clinched their spot in the post-season state tournament.
After a scoreless opening inning, Everett exploded for six runs in the second, with RBI base hits coming off the bats of Alexis Uga, Curran, Longmore (2), and Rossi (2).
In the third, a two-run homer by Bryanna Mason, after a double by Uga, made it 8-0. Uga also came through with a two-RBI base hit with two out in the fourth and scored on a double by Mason.
“Our last out of the game was made on an amazing catch by center fielder Babcock to stop runs from scoring and to end the game,” noted Poste-Schiavo.
Skane pitched all five innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs while fanning nine and walking two.
The top offensive stats came from: Emilia Babcock 2/3 (single and triple); Gianna Masucci 2/4; Alexa Uga 3/4 (2 singles, double, 3 RBIs); Bryanna Mason 2/3 (double. HR, and 3 RBIs); and Jules Curran 2/2 (2 doubles and an RBI).
“This 10th win got us into the tournament,” noted Poste-Schiavo. “I am so proud of this team and how well they are working with each other to get these wins. They are consistently working to get better and it clearly shows this year with their hitting and defense.”
Everett improved to 11-1 on the season with a 20-1 victory at Chelsea this past Monday. Peyton Warren went all five innings in the pitcher’s circle, allowing just one hit and one earned run, while striking out 13 opponents and walking four.
Key hits in the win came from Mason (an RBI triple), Uga, Kassidy Rivera, Longmore, Curran, and Babcock.
“Peyton Warren did an amazing job stepping into the pitching spot with Emilia Babcock behind the plate,” said Poste-Schiavo.
With their record at 11-1, Poste-Schiavo and her crew have a big game with defending GBL champion Lynn Classical today (Wednesday) at Glendale at 4:00.
“We need to beat Classical to keep us in the running for the GBL title this season,” said the coach, whose squad is in second place behind undefeated Medford. “We need to stay focused on our defense and offense for the remainder of the season. I also want to acknowledge that more fans are showing up and supporting these girls — thank you!”
The Crimson Tide will travel to Lynn English on Monday and will host Somerville next Wednesday.
The mid-season stats show that Kristi Skane has tossed 57 innings in which she has allowed 35 hits and 19 earned runs for an ERA of 2.33, while striking out 83 opponents and walking only 11.
The team’s batting average leaders are Emilia Maria-Babcock at .641, Ashley Seward at .515, and Alexa Uga at .514. The home run leaders are Ashley Seward with 5, Bryanna Mason 4, Emilia Maria-Babcock 3, Alexa Uga 2, Gianna Masucci 2, Kayley Rossi 2, Emma Longmore 2, and Kristi Skane 1.
The RBI leaders are: Ashley Seward- 18, Alexa Uga- 17, Kayley Rossi- 16, Emilia Maria Babcock- 15, Emma Longmore- 15, Gianna Masucci- 11, Kristi Skane- 11, and Bryanna Mason- 10. The top base-stealers are Emilia Maria-Babcock with 9 and Emma Longmore with 7. Emma Longmore has drawn the most walks with 17.
Tough Loss for EHS Boys Volleyball vs. Malden
The Everett High boys volleyball team played hard, but ultimately came up short in its contests last week with Greater Boston League rivals Medford and Malden.
Last Monday, the Crimson Tide fell to the Medford Mustangs in straight sets.
“Henrique Franca, our leading hitter, missed his third game in a row,” said EHS head coach Michael Fineran. “Steve Flores and Dawens Germain also missed the game, but we have the depth to overcome those absences.”
In the first set, senior captain Dimitar Dimitrov, who moved to outside hitter from his normal right side spot, had three of his five kills. Sophomore middle Jefferson Umana also had three kills in the set.
But a string of serves from Medford in the middle of the set stretched a two-point lead to an eight-point lead, putting the set out of reach. The Tide clawed their way back to make it 20-17, but ultimately fell, 25-19.
In the second set, Everett proved unable to generate any momentum. The Tide earned zero points on serves and could muster only four kills and 12 points. However, Fineran’s crew fought hard in the third set before falling by a score of 25-21.
Umana had two digs and two blocks. Junior Andrew Linhares had an ace, a block, and two kills in the set, and junior Nischal Tamang came off the bench to earn three kills and a block. “I liked how we bounced back in the third set, which was tight to the end,” noted Fineran.
The Tide next engaged with the Golden Tornadoes of Malden.
“We had a good week of practice after that match to regroup and work on our game,” said Fineran. “Tuesday especially had high intensity, so I had a feeling that we would play well against Malden, one of the top teams in the league.
“But it didn’t start out well for us. We had Franca and Flores back, but we played nervous and sloppy,” the coach continued. “We hit the first serve of the match out, and then found ourselves down 10-3 after the first two minutes.”
The Tide eventually found their footing, with a pair of kills from Franca and Umana each, but dropped the opening set, 25-12.
However, the second set was a different story. Linhares had three blocks and two kills, Franca had three kills and a block, and Flores had a kill and two digs as the teams traded points throughout the set. The score was deadlocked at 13-13 and Everett trailed by two, 20-18, before Malden closed out the set.
In the third set, Everett overcame four missed serves — all of them coming when the score was tied or Everett was ahead by one — to force a fourth set. Senior co-captain Roberto Brizuela anchored the back row that minimized Malden’s attack. Franca had three kills, Linhares had two kills and a block, and Umana had two kills.
Umana was a clutch performer behind the service line. He hit all nine serves in, including six in a row, that pushed a 19-18 lead to 24-18, from where the Tide would go on to take the set, 25-19, to deadlock the match at 2-2 and force a decisive fifth set.
“We weren’t satisfied just taking a set from them,” said Fineran. “In the fourth set, we had eight kills from Umana, Linhares, and Franca en route to a 25-23 win.”
In the fifth set, kills from sophomore setter Dantae Bauer and Dimitrov helped Everett take a 4-1 lead. Tamang and Flores kept a number of plays alive with great defense. Linhares had a kill and a block, and Franca had two more kills. But with the game tied at 10-10, Everett hit a serve out and hit the next serve out as well, giving Malden triple match point at 14-11.
However, Everett was called for a double-touch on the final play, a disappointing end to a spirited match.
“This match was a microcosm of our season so far,” observed Fineran. “We make mistakes and struggle at times, and then we turn it on and show that we can hang with anybody. We are halfway through the season, and if we want to play in the state tournament, we will need to be that stronger, tougher team far more consistently than we have been so far.”
Fineran and his crew play at Lynn Classical today (Wednesday) and will host non-league rival Pioneer Charter on Friday and Lynn English on Monday. They will travel to Somerville next Wednesday.
EHS Girls Tennis Battles Well in Matches
Although the Everett High girls tennis team came up short in its three matches this past week, there were some highlights for coach Courtney Meninger’s squad.
Most notably, senior captain Luisa DaSilva engaged in a long, three-hour match Friday night against a tough Somerville competitor at first singles to win a grueling match in straight sets, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6).
Luisa won the first set in a tiebreaker, taking it to 6-6, and then coming out the victor in the tiebreaker 7-4. She then took her next set to 6-6, forcing another tiebreaker and coming out on top once again, 8-6.
“Both girls played great and showed good sportsmanship throughout the long match,” noted Meninger.
The Lady Crimson Tide are scheduled to play at Lynn Classical today (Wednesday), at Lynn English on Monday, and at Latin Academy next Wednesday.
“We are hoping to turn things around this week against a tough Lynn Classical team,” said Meninger.