Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 11, 2025 Saugus softball team opens season 2-1 behind strong youth performances, Ventre milestone By Dom Nicastro T he Saugus High School softball team kicked off its 2025 campaign with a 2-1 start, highlighted by dramatic finishes, breakout performances from underclassmen and a major milestone from senior captain Lily Ventre. The Sachems opened the season on March 31 with a thrilling 10-9 walk-off victory over Cambridge Rindge & Latin. Down 8-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Saugus rallied to tie the game, capped by an RBI triple from sophomore Sydney Deleidi and eighth grader Layla Demonte’s first varsity hit. “This was a very exciting back-and-forth game,” Saugus Head Coach Steve Almquist said. “Even though our offense scored in every inning, we were trailing at several points but came up big when it counted.” After Cambridge scored again in the seventh, senior captain Alexa Morello delivered a game-tying ground-rule double, and eighth grader Sofia McCarrier raced home on a passed ball to secure the win. Senior Taylor Deleidi and McCarrier split time on the mound. Deleidi pitched three innings, allowing four earned runs, while McCarrier earned the win in relief with four innings of work, allowing five runs (one unearned) and striking out six. “I couldn’t have been happier with how both performed,” Almquist said. “We have a little more pitching depth this year, so I’m trying to spread the innings around to not put as much pressure on Taylor.” Senior captain Lily Ventre SOFTBALL | SEE PAGE 11 Saugus’ Lily Ventre after getting her 100th career hit Healey-Driscoll administration announces $3.2M in Fire Safety Grants Funding will support firefighter gear and fire safety education for children and seniors (Note: The following info is based on a press release issued this week by the Department of Fire Services [DFS].) T he Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that more than 300 Massachusetts fire departments will receive over $3 million in grants to support safety equipment for firefighters and life safety education for kids and older adults. The Town of Saugus received $5,676.09 for the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) Grant Program and $2,381.87 for the Senior SAFE Grant Program. “Massachusetts firefighters do much more than fight fires – they’re our first line of defense in any emergency,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These grants will help firefighters protect themselves from injury and illness, rescue people in danger, and keep our most vulnerable residents safe from fires and other hazards at home. We are proud to be able to support these vital first responders who never hesitate to answer a call for help.” The awards are drawn from three grant programs coordinated by the Department of Fire Services. The Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program reimburses local fire departments for purchases of turnout gear, hazardous gas meters, self-contained breathing apparatus components, accountability systems, thermal imaging cameras and more. This round of grants will provide $1.63 million in funding to fire departments in 266 communities. In many cases, the reimbursed purchases will help them attain compliance with Occupational Safety & Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards. “Firefighters train tirelessly for every conceivable emergency so that they can be prepared to help those in need,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Through this program, we acknowledge that tremendous commitment by investing in the equipment they need to be safe in any situation.” The Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) Grant Program funds firefighter-educators who deliver age-appropriate fire and life safety education to school-age children. Since the grants’ inception in 1995, the number of Massachusetts children who die in fires has dropped to historically low levels, from two dozen or more per year to zero for nearly three consecutive years. This year’s awards will deliver more than $1.1 million to 204 local fire departments. “For 30 years, the SAFE grants have delivered life-saving lessons to Massachusetts’ kids and teens through our local firefighters,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy. “This is just one of the powerful local-state partnerships that make Massachusetts one of the safest places in the nation to live, work, and raise a family.” In 2014, DFS launched the Senior SAFE Grant Program, which is geared toward another vulnerable population – older adults – who face a disproportionate risk of death or serious injury in a fire. Nearly $485,000 will support alarm installation, fire safety education, fall prevention strategies and other resources delivered by 203 local fire departments in partnership with local senior centers, councils on aging and other community partners. “People aged 65 and older are at greatest risk of death or serious injury in a fire at home,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “The Senior SAFE grants make a difference by sending trained firefighters to conduct home safety assessments, install or replace smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and help our seniors age in place safely and independently.”
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