The Everett High softball team enjoyed an excellent week, winning both of its contests to improve to 9-5 on the season and move within one game of qualifying for the state tournament.
Coach Stacy Poste’s squad trounced Cambridge 19-2 last Tuesday and then edged Marblehead 4-2 on Thursday.
Stephanie Chaves went the seven inning distance for the Lady Crimson Tide against Cambridge, twirling a one hitter in which she allowed no earned runs and fanned four enemy batters.
Everett got the ball rolling in the first inning with two runs. Kristie Welch walked, stole second, and then scored easily on a triple by Tori Cyrus. Samantha Rebelo’s single then sent Tori scooting across home plate.
The Lady Crimson Tide then erupted for eight runs in the third to take a commanding 10-0 lead. Welch once again was the initial instigator with a base hit to start the rally. After walks to Alea Martinelli and Cyrus, Rebelo reached first on a fielder’s choice grounder to load the bases. The next three batters walked (Amanda Ray, Janyne Sierra, and Erin McLaughlin) to bring in Martinelli, Cyrus, and Rebelo. Two Cambridge errors on balls hit by Taylor Sweeney and Welch did some more damage and Martinelli put an exclamation point to the big inning with a base hit that plated Sweeney and Welch .
Everett added to its bulge with four markers in the fifth. After McLaughlin was hit by a pitch, Brianna Uga singled and Martinelli laced a triple for two RBI. Cyrus was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a wild pitch that allowed Martinelli to score, and then came home on a single by Rachel Pierce.
Cambridge scored its two unearned runs in the fifth, but Everett scored a solo marker in the sixth when Sweeney walked., stole second, and scored on a hit by Martinelli.
A four run seventh concluded the romp. Sierra reached on an error, Cristian Faia walked, and Sweeney singled to load the bases. A base hit by Michelle Zullo and another triple by Martinelli finished off the big day for the Lady Crimson Tide.
“Even though there we a lot of walks this game, the girls who hit the ball, hit it well and hit it when it counted,” said Poste.
By contrast, the affair with Marblehead two days later was a tight battle to the end. Zullo picked up the “W” with a superlative effort in which she allowed just two hits, two walks, and one earned run.
Everett got on the board in the fourth when McLaughlin got to first on by a fielder’s choice with two and moved to second on a base hit by Zullo. After Erin stole third, Welch rapped a double to bring her home.
Marblehead took a 2-1 in the sixth, but the Lady Crimson Tide responded in a big way with a three run outburst in the bottom of that inning. Sierra reached on an error and then with two outs, Zullo singled into the outfield, moving Sierra to third. Welch then came through with a clutch base hit to knock in Sierra for the tying tally.
After Martinelli walked to load the bases, Cyrus hit a ball into the outfield to bring around Zullo and Welch.
“This was a huge win for us,” said Poste afterwards. “We lost to Marblehead in our first meeting, but we knew that they were a beatable team. The girls know that every win is one step closer to making the tournament and this one really will help.
“The bats are finally coming around and as long as we play good defense behind our pitchers, we should do very well,” added the coach.
Poste and her crew have a busy week with four games in four days on the local field. They were set to host archrival Malden yesterday (Tuesday) in a battle for first place in the GBL. Medford will visit tomorrow (Thursday); Lynn Classical comes here on Friday; and then Arlington comes to town for a Saturday afternoon tilt at 2:00.
Lynn English will be on the local field next Tuesday and the season finale is set for next Thursday at Revere.