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Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MAy 24, 2024 ~ Saugus High School Sports round-Up ~ By Dom Nicastro SAUGUS BASEBALL LOOKING FOR FINALSTRETCH MOMENTUM The Saugus High School baseball team is looking for some momentum and for its bats to come alive down the stretch in order to make the postseason. Heading into its final two games, the team was 8-10 and needs a couple of wins to make the postseason. The top 32 teams in the MIAA power rankings make the tournament, in addition to those who are outside of those 32 but sport a record of least a .500 winning percentage. The route for Saugus is looking like the latter. The Sachems were ranked 43rd heading into their final two games, so a 10-10 record seemed like a must. Saugus needs to wake up its bats. It has scored just two runs in its previous three games. In a 4-2 loss against Gloucester this week, an error put Gloucester on the board in the top of the first inning. Shane Bourque grounded out, which helped Saugus tie the game at one in the bottom of the first. Gloucester jumped back into the lead in the top of the second inning after a double and a single scored two runs. Cam Bernard took the loss for Saugus, pitching five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits, striking out four and walking three. Nathan Soroko led the team with two hits in three at-bats and stole two bases. Bourque contributed with one run batted in. Jordan Rodriguez had a hit and stole a base. Winthrop beat Saugus, 8-0, at World Series Baseball Park. Saugus only mustered one hit. Cam Soroko took the loss for Saugus, pitching four innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on two hits, striking out six and walking five. He had Saugus’ lone hit. Game 3: Swampscott 5, Saugus 0 (Friday, May 17). Game story: Saugus fell to Swampscott, 5-0, and got no-hit. Danny Zeitz took the loss for Saugus, pitching 4.2 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits, striking out four and walking four. Bourque pitched 1.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit. SAUGUS GIRLS LAX EYEING POSTSEASON The Saugus High School girls lacrosse team sported a 9-10 record with one game to go – Thursday, May 23, at Marblehead (4:30 p.m.). As of the latest MIAA power rankings, the Lady Sachems stood at 45th ranked out of 59 teams in Division 3. Medfield, Hanover and defending state champion Newburyport were the top three teams. Saugus will not be able to get into the top 32 in the final rankings, which would have given it an automatic berth. It can, however, get in via a .500 record if it beats Marblehead on Thursday. Saugus lost to Peabody, 160, on Tuesday, making the Marblehead game a must-win scenario. SAUGUS COMPETES IN NEC MEET The Saugus High School track and field team competed at the Northeastern Conference Championship Meet on May 18, hosted by Danvers High School. Despite facing tough competition, the athletes from Saugus showcased their determination and talent across various events: Boys: • 400 Meters: Justin Bremberg finished 17th with a time of 1:01.46. • 800 Meters: Ryan Laws finished 18th with a time of 2:19.31. • 110m Hurdles: Roberto Garay Morales finished 14th with a time of 20.16. • 400m Hurdles: Pharoah Brandenburg finished 12th with a time of 1:05.15. • 4x100 Relay: The team of Ryan Morreira, Kaeleb Mathieu, Kalebe Mendes and Aiden Martinez finished eighth with a time of 49.98. • Shotput: Braden Faiella finished sixth with a throw of 40-05.00. • Discus: Jake Ferraro finished 18th with a throw of 74-02. • Javelin: Cody Munafo finished 21st with a throw of 93-08; Braden Faiella finished 22nd with a throw of 93-00. • High Jump: Justin Bremberg finished 11th, clearing a height of 5-00.00. • Triple Jump: Ashton Coviello finished 15th with a distance of 35-02.50. Girls: • 100 Meters: Destiny Okoye finished seventh with a time of 13.47. • 200 Meters: Angie Lopez finished 20th with a time of 29.88. • 400 Meters: Jessica Bremberg finished seventh with a time of 1:03.75. • 100m Hurdles: Alesha Bien-aime finished 12th with a time of 19.54. • 400m Hurdles: Peyton DiBiasio finished 10th with a time of 1:17.14. • 4x100 Relay: The team of Destiny Okoye, Savanna Ceruolo, Jessica Bremberg and Soraya Mathieu finished fourth with a time of 52.90. • Shotput: Angie Lopez finished 13th with a throw of 24-11.00. • Discus: Brianna Feldman finished 24th with a throw of 52-01. • Javelin: Peyton DiBiasio finished third with a throw of 88-04. • High Jump: Destiny Okoye finished fourth with a height of 5-00.00; Peyton DiBiasio finished 12th with 4-02.00. • Long Jump: Soraya Mathieu finished 12th with a jump of 15-02.50. • Triple Jump: Jessica Bremberg finished seventh with a distance of 3301.00. Saugus softball team battles for playoff berth in final games By Dom Nicastro I n the final week, the Saugus High School softball team still has a fighting chance to make the postseason. That’s because they are getting hot at the right time. The team was 9-9 heading into its final two games this week against Winthrop and Revere. If they beat one of their two neighbors, they will get win No. 10 and make the postseason. The team did itself a big favor by starting the week on May 20 with an extra-inning, 2-1 win over Northeastern Conference rival Masconomet. Then, the Sachems followed up with a 14-2 win over Watertown on May 21. “This was a great game and a much-needed, well-deserved win against a solid Masconomet team,” Saugus coach Steve Almquist said. “Neither team could generate any offense as both pitchers were outstanding, with Taylor Deleidi going all eight innings for the win. At the plate, she went 2-for-4 with the game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning.” Saugus did have a chance to break things open in the bottom of the sixth when they loaded the bases with no outs and their 2-3-4 hitters coming up. “Unfortunately, as has been the case for much of this season, we just couldn’t get that timely hit, letting the Masco pitcher off the hook unscathed,” Almquist said. Neither team threatened in the seventh, setting the stage for some extra-inning heroics. With one run already in for Masco in the eighth and a runner on third, third baseman Ava Rogers made the play of the year with a diving backhand catch on a line drive down the third base line, which was going to be a sure double. Not only did she catch it, but she also had the presence of mind to tag the runner trying to get back to third, getting Saugus out of the inning and keeping the score at 1-0. In the home half of the inning, the Sachems managed to load the bases with one out when Taylor Deleidi came up with a clutch single to center field, tying the game at one. With two outs and bases still loaded, Devany Millerick delivered big time with a line-drive walk-off single to right field, giving Saugus the hard-fought win. “As mentioned, Taylor was outstanding on the mound, pitching her best game to date,” Almquist said of her pitcher, who went eight innings, allowing one earned run, striking out eight, and walking one. Danica Schena had a hit and “has been phenomenal in center field, putting together a gold glove season and making several fine catches in this game,” Almquist said. Kaitlyn Pugh had a hit, and Sabrina Tamburello was 1-for-1 with a walk and a run scored. “Sabrina is an eighth-grader and continues to impress,” Almquist said. “She had a great at-bat in the bottom of the eighth, resulting in a key walk, and would eventually score the game-winning run; Hannah Duong pinch-ran for her,” Almquist added. Against Watertown, the Lady Sachems got a gem from captain Taylor Deleidi, who gave up two hits and struck out five. She continued to be red hot at the plate with four hits and four runs scored. The offense had 17 hits. Captain Lily Ventre had two triples, a double, and three RBI. Pugh had three hits. Captain Millerick added two hits and an RBI, and captain Ava Rogers had two hits and an RBI. Saugus previously lost to Swampscott, 6-5. “This was a tough loss as it was a game that we probably should have won,” Almquist said. “We started slow, falling behind 3-0, but then we came alive, scoring five times in the top of the fourth to go ahead 5-3. We had an opportunity to add to the lead in the top of the fifth when we loaded the bases with no outs, but what has plagued us all year came back to haunt us again as we just couldn’t get that timely hit.” Swampscott capitalized in their home half, scoring three times with the eventual game-winner coming home on an infield throwing error. “This gave them a 6-5 lead which they never relinquished,” Almquist said. “We outhit Swampscott 13-9 in this game, but as has been the case much of the season, we just couldn’t capitalize when we needed to. Taylor Deleidi was the hard-luck loser in this one and certainly deserved a better fate.” She allowed five earned runs and nine hits, striking out four and walking two. She SOFTBALL | SEE PAGE 13

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