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Page 12 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2024 Baseball Pats Captains look on the bright side of season By Dom Nicastro Revere baseball captains make mark on program The Revere High School baseball team fell just one game shy of getting into the Division 1 state tourney. For the second straight season. As devastating as that was, the team’s captains — seniors Ollie Svendsen and Kyle Cummings — looked on the bright side for the 2024 season. They said the team worked as hard as possible and remained competitive throughout the season. They also said they were privileged to earn the right to be a captain and took the role seriously. Svendsen: proud of underclassmen Coming into the 2024 Revere baseball season, the expectations were not as high as the last two seasons, Svendsen noted. Graduating nine seniors last year meant there was a boatload of spots open in the lineup. “With only five varsity returners, we knew there would be some inexperience at the varsity level coming in,” Svendsen said. “All teams are going to have ups and downs during their season but this season made an error or striking out.” The captain wanted to recognize Joey Anguilo (freshman) and Nick Rupp (sophomore), particularly. “As two underclassmen that haven’t played at the varsity level before, they earned every bit of playing time they got,” Svendsen said. “Always helping out with team equipment when it was not their assigned week and just overall team guys. They are going to be great players for this team in the next few years.” Svendsen mentioned that for the second straight year, his team missed the state tournament by one game. “Heartbreaking. Coming so Kyle Cummings (left) and Ollie Svendsen, Revere’s 2024 baseball captains. was one to remember without looking at the level of play or record.” Svendsen said he’s most proud of the underclassmen and some juniors that haven’t been on the team before that stepped up and played a role on this team, “whether it was cheering on the guys every inning while not playing, or picking guys up when they close once again we could just taste it,” he said. “A weird feeling about how the continuation game against Malden would be the diff erence in our season. I want to thank Coaches: Manning, Salvo, Sack and DiMarzo for their continued support and sacrifi ce every single day. I wouldn’t be the person or player I am today without all of them. Lastly, I’d like to thank Kyle Cummings. The guy that has been with me all four years at Revere High playing baseball. We went to war for four straight years and made some remarkable memories on the diamond. Two tournament berths and missing by one game twice. We left a good dent during our time here and we’ll never forget it.” Svendsen won the Dr. Albert Fulchino Baseball Award at awards recognition night. He will be attending Nichols College studying sports management. Cummings: fought hard until the end Cummings called the season a roller coaster. He said the team fought really hard to stay over.500. “Me and Ollie fought really hard to try and make this tournament,” Cummings said. “He pitched some great games against East Boston and Everett and had a lot of huge hits this season. We had a lot of thrilling games.” On Senior Night in a mustwin game, Cummings threw a one-hitter that led to a 6-1 win over Lynn English. “Ollie came through with some big plays at third that game too,” Cummings said. “Although the season ended earlier than we wanted to, there were a lot of fl ashes of a promising future, and I see great things for this team’s future.” Next year, Cummings, who had a 2.12 ERA and hit.354, will attend UMass-Boston to study sports management and play baseball. Cummings won the Al Blasi Baseball Coaches Award. Revere softball’s season ends with loss to Shrewsbury By Dom Nicastro T he Revere High School softball team saw its season come to a close with a 15-3 loss to Shrewsbury in the opening round of the Division 1 state tournament. Shrewsbury came in with just fi ve wins compared to Revere’s 15, but looks were deceiving. “It definitely was a case of that,” Revere coach Megan O’Donnell said. “They were definitely a good, solid hitting team. They just put the ball where we weren’t. They were fast. They made the plays. I mean, we hit right at them. The score really doesn’t refl ect how we did. Most of our kids had never been in a tournament game. They definitely got a taste of it, and they want to win more games next year.” Shrewsbury got on the board in the bottom of the fi rst inning after Danni Hope Randall induced Varsha Swaminanthan to hit into a fi elder’s choice, but one run scored. Ava Cotton singled, scoring two runs, and Maddie Bentley drew a walk, scoring one run. Shrewsbury added to its early lead in the bottom of the second inning when Swaminanthan singled, scoring two runs, and McKenna Halloran doubled, scoring one run. Shrewsbury scored fi ve runs on three hits in the bottom of the fi fth inning. Emma Ellis drew a walk, scoring one run. Bea Millar drew a walk, scoring one run. Halloran singled, scoring one run. Cotton singled, scoring one run, and Ava Lynch hit into a double play, but one run scored. Bentley earned the win for Shrewsbury. She allowed seven hits and three runs over six innings, striking out nine and walking one. Randall took the loss for Revere. The righty went fi ve and one-third innings, giving up 15 runs (seven earned) on 13 hits, striking out three and walking nine. Luiza Santos led Revere with two runs batted in from the number seven spot in the lineup. The right-handed hitter went 1-for-3 on the day. Frankie Reed led Revere with three hits in three at-bats. Caleigh Joyce collected two hits for Revere in two at-bats. Revere turned one double play in the game, and Santos played a solid right fi eld. Despite the loss, it was a season of many gains for Revere. The Patriots went from four to seven to 15 wins over the past three seasons under the tenure of O’Donnell. For her eff orts, O’Donnell was named Coach of the Year in the Greater Boston League. Team All-Stars • Shayna Smith: Smith had an outstanding season with 62 at-bats, securing 30 hits for a.484 average. She showcased her power by hitting 13 doubles, one triple, and four home runs. Her performance was pivotal, scoring 22 runs and driving in 29 RBIs. Smith also demonstrated discipline at the plate, walking seven times while striking out only four times. • Frankie Reed: Reed proved to be a crucial player with 65 at-bats and 31 hits, including eight doubles and two home runs for a.477 average. She scored 27 runs and had 32 RBIs, signifi cantly contributing to the team’s off ensive strength. Her patience was evident with 17 walks. • Lea Doucette: Doucette stood out with 72 at-bats and an impressive 40 hits, which included four doubles, two triples, and fi ve home runs for a team-leading.556 average. She was a major run producer, scoring 37 runs and driving in 33 RBIs. She also displayed good plate discipline, drawing eight walks and striking out only three times. • Riley Straccia: Straccia contributed signifi cantly with 57 at-bats, securing 26 hits, including 10 doubles and two triples for a.456 average. She scored 26 runs and had 21 RBIs. She managed to draw six walks. • Ally Straccia: Ally Straccia had a solid season with 47 at-bats and 25 hits, including three doubles and two home runs for an average of.532, second on the team. She scored 22 runs and drove in 18 RBIs. Ally also drew 11 walks, demonstrating her ability to get on base, while striking out only seven times. O’Donnell credited senior leadership for the great season. Seniors this year were Juliana Bolton, Isabella Qualtieri, Luiza Santos, Ally and Riley Straccia, Dakota Lanes, and Olivia Morris

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