Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, May 31, 2019 Lady Tide softball clinches postseason berth with resounding win over Waltham By Joe Mitchell T he Everett Crimson Tide Softball Team (11-6) began a marathon stretch of makeup games this past week with a resounding 13-3 triumph over host Malden on May 23, and they wrapped it up with another explosive win, this time against visiting Waltham on Monday afternoon (May 27), 14-0. While all of this was going on, the Tide also clinched a state tournament berth in a laugher over the non-league Hawks. Ariana Garay went the distance in the circle, pitching all seven innings to earn the win over Malden. She scattered five hits and allowed just one walk and two earned runs while fanning seven Golden Tornadoes. The Tide jumped on Malden right away with four runs in the very first inning. Maddy Duraes began the inning with a single to the outfield. Veronica Bento was then hit by a pitch, before Maddy Smith’s sacrifice bunt advanced them into scoring position for Kaylee Nearen, whose double brought them home. Ashley Yebba then ran for Nearen, who scored on Garay’s double. Garay came home on Elizabeth Peach’s single to the outfield. The Tide tacked on two more runs in the second. Duraes started it off with a double. Bento then drew a walk. After a passed ball by Malden put runners again in scoring position, Smith knocked in Duraes on a tag up from third. Nearen kept the threat going after getting hit by a pitch, before Peach delivered again with a run producing single. The Golden Tornadoes cut the deficit in half with three in the second, but the Everett girls got one of those runs back in the fourth to go up by four, 7-3. Nearen got the fourth inning threat started with a fielder’s choice. Yebba once again ran for her, and she eventually scored on an error after a walk to Peach. The Tide broke open the game in the fifth with four more runs. They loaded the bases before Smith doubled in two. After a couple of walks and a bunt single reloaded the bases, Nearen closed out the uprising while also maintaining the trend with a tworun double. Everett scored twice more in the seventh for good measure. Alyssa Bessler walked, and SidKaylee Nearen Yalixa Colon Sidney Hennessey Rachel Zullo ney Hennessey singled to lead off the frame. Both runners moved up on a passed ball and came home on a Yalixa Colon double to complete the onslaught. “Ariana pitched a great game,” said coach Stacy Poste-Schiavo. “She was on her game, and her defense backed her up when Malden was able to put the ball in play. After losing to Medford, the girls wanted and needed this win.” The Tide closed out the marathon stretch of games Monday afternoon (May 27) at home versus Waltham. The home team once again showed no mercy, hammering the Hawks to the tune of 14-0. “This was our fourth game in a row this past week, because of the rain,” said Poste. “We are taking each game one at a time at this point, and are just focusing on improving our record for the tournament.” Garay pitched all five innings in this mercy rule–shortened game. She gave up only three hits to record her second shutout of the season. Duraes started another uprising off with a single in the first. Bento then executed a perfect sacrifice bunt that she was able to beat out to put runners on first and third. Smith then singled in one before Nearen tripled home two. Nearen then soon came home on a sacrifice fly hit by Garay to give her teammates a quick 4-0 lead. The Tide exploded for 10 runs in the second to seal the deal in a hurry, including a two-run blast by Bento, who also drove in another two with a double, before the end of the inning. “Waltham was getting the bat on the ball, but our defense made all the right plays,” said Poste. “This was a great game, and it was made even better, because we got to honor our seniors, including four-year starting catcher Kaylee Nearen and first-year varsity seniors Yalixa Colon, Sidney Hennessey and Rachel Zullo.” The Tide also took on Salem on the road Saturday afternoon, and ended up defeating the Witches, 9-6. Celeste Fuccillo pitched all seven innings in this game to pick up the victory after yielding 11 hits, one walk and six earned runs. She also whiffed nine. Everett scored one run in each of the first two innings and four more in the third, while Fuccillo struck out the side in the second. But the Witches got back into the game with three in the third. But the locals got them back in the sixth. The Salem girls didn’t go quietly – scoring one in the sixth and two in the seventh – but it was simply too little, too late to complete their comeback efforts. After games against Lynn Classical at home on Saturday, June 1, at 5 p.m. and a rematch at Salem on Monday to wrap up the regular season, the state tournament pairings will then be announced on Tuesday. First-round games will probably begin late next week. Check out www.miaa. net on Tuesday night, June 4, for the complete list of tournament pairings.
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