Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MAy 22, 2026 ~ SHS Sachems Spring Sports roundup ~ By Dom Nicastro S augus baseball captures tournament title; softball keeps postseason hopes alive The postseason push is officially on in Saugus. Baseball added hardware to the trophy case over the weekend; softball continues battling to extend its season; and girls lacrosse is heading back to the state tournament after a strong season built on growth and chemistry. BASEBALL CAPTURES STRIKE OUT COLON CANCER TOURNAMENT TITLE Saugus baseball delivered one of its strongest weekends of the season, winning the Strike Out Colon Cancer Tournament hosted by East Boston High School while putting together two impressive victories over Malden and Revere. Senior catcher Nathan Soroko earned tournament MVP honors after reaching base repeatedly over the weekend, finishing four-for-six with two walks and a hit by pitch. The Sachems opened tournament play Saturday with a 7-4 victory over Malden. Eli Fialho got things started early with an RBI single in the first inning before Brayden Crawford added another run in the second with an RBI single down the right field line. Malden briefly grabbed control in the third inning before Saugus answered in the fifth. An error, a Donny Santostefano RBI single and a Garrett Peavey RBI hit pushed the Sachems back in front for good. Jordan Rodriguez earned the win in relief, tossing 3 2/3 innings while allowing just two hits and no runs while striking out four. Crawford started on the mound before Rodriguez shut the door. Offensively, Saugus collected nine hits. Fialho drove in three runs, while Soroko and Santostefano each finished with two hits. The Sachems also flashed defensive execution by turning a double play. Sunda y 50 brought another strong effort, this time a 9-5 win over Revere. Saugus struck immediately. Rodriguez delivered a two-run single in the opening inning before another run scored on an error. Revere fought back and briefly moved ahead 4-3, but Saugus responded with a decisive sixth inning. Brayden Crawford, Eli Fialho and Chris Mazin each delivered RBI singles as the Sachems surged ahead. Trey Riley was outstanding out of the bullpen, working 6 2/3 innings while allowing just two runs, one earned. The offense kept rolling. Peavey collected three hits from the No. 8 spot in the lineup. Rodriguez, Crawford, Soroko, Mazin and Tyler Schaefer all added multi-hit performances. Saugus also stole five bases and turned another double play. The tournament championship comes at an important time for a team looking to build momentum entering the final stretch of the regular season. Saugus is 7-10 and needs to win its final three games in order to make the postseason. SOFTBALL STAYS ALIVE, KEEPS TOURNAMENT DREAM INTACT Saugus softball enters the final days of the regular season with exactly what it wanted — a chance. The Sachems defeated Waltham, 7-4, to improve to 9-9 and remain alive in the tournament chase. “We are still alive,” Head Coach Steve Almquist said simply afterward. Now comes the challenge. Saugus closes with Peabody and Swampscott, needing one more win to strengthen its tournament hopes. That urgency has been building for weeks. Earlier in the week, the Sachems dropped a 12-0 decision to Gloucester, one of Division 3’s elite programs. “Gloucester proved why they are the third-ranked team,” Almquist said. The Sachems managed hits from Sydney Deleidi and Julia Strout but struggled against a dominant Gloucester pitcher who recorded her 200th strikeout of the season. Still, Almquist pointed toward growth. “We are a young team and at this point we just don’t have enough experience to compete with these top-tier teams on a consistent level,” he said. “We will get there.” Sofia McCarrier and eighth grader Jenna O’Donnell split pitching duties against Gloucester. McCarrier worked three innings while O’Donnell continued adding valuable varsity experience. A few days earlier, Saugus delivered one of its best all-around performances of the season with a critical 6-1 victory over Salem. “In a must-win game, the kids delivered,” Almquist said. McCarrier dazzled in the circle again, allowing one run on three hits while striking out five. The defense matched her effort. Sophomore third baseman Alannah Duong turned in five putouts, while sophomore first baseman Julia Strout continued establishing herself as one of the team’s defensive anchors. “I can’t stress enough how impressed I am with Julia’s performance this year,” Almquist said. Offensively, Saugus attacked immediately. Captain Ari Chianca opened the game with a single. Captain Syd DeleiROUNDUP | SEE PAGE 5 Spring is Here! 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Celebrating 67 Years in Business! n Roofing fng
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