THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 5, 2026 Page 5 Young Sachems show bright future despite tournament exits ~ SHS Sachems Spring Sports roundup ~ By Dom Nicastro T he fi nal scores did not go the way Saugus hoped, but when the dust settled on the spring season, there was still plenty to celebrate. Softball extended its remarkable streak of tournament appearances to 10 consecutive seasons despite fi elding one of the youngest rosters in program history. Both lacrosse programs reached the state tournament, with the boys qualifying for the postseason for the fi rst time in more than a decade. SOFTBALL’S POSTSEASON RUN ENDS, BUT FUTURE REMAINS BRIGHT Saugus softball’s season came to an end in the Division 3 state tournament with an 11-0 loss to Greater Lowell Tech, but head coach Steve Almquist made it clear the fi - nal score did not define the season. “I could not have been any happier with how the season went,” Almquist said. The Sachems fi nished 10-11 and reached the tournament despite entering the season with one of the youngest rosters Almquist has coached. “We lost a ton of talent from last year’s team which posted 12 wins, so going into this season I wasn’t sure if we would even win three games let alone 10,” he said. Against Greater Lowell Tech, Saugus battled early. Angie Dow collected a second-inning bunt single, one of four hits the Sachems managed on the day. Alannah Duong, Sofi a McCarrier and senior captain Maria Silva also recorded hits. Silva’s hit proved especially meaningful. In the top of the seventh inning, she lined a single to right-center fi eld in what became the final at-bat of her high school career. “What a memory and a fi tting way to cap off a great high school career,” Almquist said. “The kids were so pumped for her when she got that hit.” McCarrier absorbed the loss but pitched better than the fi - nal score indicated. The freshman worked six innings, allowing 11 runs, though only three were earned. Almquist pointed to a rough third inning in which Greater Lowell Tech scored seven runs, six of them after a missed double-play opportunity extended the frame. “In these tournament games, especially against better competition, you need to pretty much play a clean game,” Almquist said. Still, the coach remained focused on the bigger picture. “I don’t think people realize how diffi cult it is to qualify for the State Tournament, especially playing in one of the tougher conferences in the area,” he said. “To do it 10 years in a row is really something special.” With McCarrier, eighth graders Jenna O’Donnell, Hannah Strout and Aubrey Demonte, along with numerous other underclassmen returning, the future appears promising. “I’m hoping the experience gained from this season and having that year under their belt will pay dividends for our underclassmen,” Almquist said. BOYS LACROSSE REACHES PLAYOFFS FOR FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN A DECADE The Saugus boys lacrosse team may have seen its season end with a 20-2 preliminary-round loss to St. Mary’s, but fi rst-year head coach Clint Arsenault believes the program took a major step forward. The Sachems finished 8-8 and reached the state tournament for the fi rst time in more than 10 years. “It was the fi rst time that the Saugus lacrosse boys have made it to the playoff s in over a decade,” Arsenault said. “I have to give the boys a lot of credit for how hard they worked.” The season was built on perseverance. Despite often playing with little or no bench, Saugus battled through adversity and steadily improved throughout the spring. ROUNDUP | SEE PAGE 12 “WE’RE STILL HERE!” Since 1947 MALDEN AUTO BODY Book online: Maldenauto.com 49 Robin St., Everett, MA 617-389-3030 * Maldenab@yahoo.com Over 79 years of exceptional service! Massone Family Owned & Operated Checking that pays you $20 a month. It’s easy: Open a checking account and each month maintain an average balance of $5,000, make $1,500 in direct deposits, and complete three transactions of any kind.* *New checking account customers only.
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