Red-hot Crimson Tide smokes three more foes to remain undefeated after six games

Everett softball closes out school vacation week at home against Boston Latin Academy Friday morning 

  Last Wednesday, April 12, the Everett High School softball team (6-0) continued its winning, dominating ways with a 18-0 triumph over visiting Lynn English. The game ended in the middle of the fifth inning, because of another mercy rule decision. Everett pitcher Kristi Skane threw all five no-hit innings, striking out seven, while walking one and hitting one batter.

  The Crimson Tide wasted little time to take control of this game. After loading the bases in the first inning, Skane helped her own cause with a two-run single. Alexa Uga then tripled home two more runs. Bryanna Mason brought her home with a base hit. The Tide scored the sixth, and final run of the frame on a bases loaded walk.

  Coach Stacy Schiavo’s squad tacked on three more runs in the second inning. Skane and Uga drew walks to begin the team’s second offensive surge of the game in as many innings. Ashley Seward followed with a two-run triple. Arabella Cvitkusic then knocked in Seward on a fielder’s choice.

  The hits kept on coming in the third inning, which resulted in four more runs. Gianna Masucci drew a walk and stole second before Skane walked. Uga reached first on a fielder’s choice after the Bulldogs retired Skane at second base. But Mason followed with a three-run homerun to increase the English deficit.

  In the fourth inning, the Tide completed its offensive explosion with five runs. Masucci started it off with a hit to left that got by the leftfielder, which allowed her to circle the bases for a run. Later in the frame, Mason belted another three-run blast. Peyton Warren singled home the final Everett run of the game. Skane then did the rest to secure her no-hitter after retiring the side again in the fifth.

  “We had some players in different positions with some of the regulars out, but everyone nonetheless did an amazing job,” said Schiavo. “When the girls had an opportunity to hit, they hit the ball hard. Kristi did amazing in the circle while throwing to her sophomore catcher Emilia Marie-Babcok. Her defensive teammates were also on their game to help hold English scoreless on no hits.”

Tide battles Cambridge in competitive matchup

  It was a more competitive game against host Cambridge at St. Peter’s Field two days later, but the scoreboard was still lopsided in favor of the Everett girls to the tune of 9-1. Skane went all seven innings, striking out 12 more batters while allowing five hits, one walk and one earned run.

  Cambridge led, 1-0 after one inning, but it was all Everett after that. The Tide took the lead for good in the second with three runs. Mason knocked in the first run with a hit to right, and Marie-Babcock plated the next two with a hit of her own. The visitors accounted for three more runs in the fourth inning. Emma Longmore and Emilia Babcock each knocked in one with singles. Mason singled in a run in the fifth inning, and Kayley Rossi tripled home a run in the next frame to close out the offense.

  “This was a non-league game for us, but it was nice to play Cambridge again,” said Schiavo. “Their pitcher had some decent speed on the ball, but once we started hitting, she started to get a little wild. However, we did leave too many runners on base.”

  “Again, Skane and Rossi controlled the tempo of the game. Cambridge had some decent hitters, and they hit the ball hard a few times, but our defense made the plays when needed,” added the veteran Everett coach. “Emma Longmore’s double play was much needed at the right time to end a threat in the fourth. I’m happy to see the girls are getting up at the plate with more confidence and producing hits. We have 15 regular season games left, but we still are focusing on one game at a time.”

No vacation for the Everett bats against Somerville

  The Everett girls certainly didn’t rest their bats to begin school vacation week on Monday against host Somerville. They once again showed no mercy, beating the Highlanders convincingly in the rain, 26-6.

  Skane pitched the first four innings, yielding four walks, six hits and five earned runs while fanning five. Peyton Warren pitched the final frame, before yet another game was stopped prematurely, because of the mercy rule. Warren walked two, but did whiff one.

  Rossi ignited the fireworks in the first inning with a double that drove home Longmore, who walked to lead things off. Babcock, who also walked, scored on a passed ball before Uga launched a two-run bomb to give her teammates a 4-0 advantage.

  The visitors tacked on six more runs in the second inning, led by Babcock’s three-run shot. Skane kept it going with a triple and scored on a hit by Rossi. Masucci then singled. Rossi and Masucci eventually scored on passed balls.

  The Highlanders got three back when they came to the plate in the home half of the second inning. But Everett then scored one more in the third on a solo shot by Rossi. The Tide now led, 11-3.

  Uga hit a double that turned into a homerun as a result of an error to start the fourth ining. Longmore then singled in two. Babcock knocked in a run with a base hit, as did Rossi, who then stole second to put runners in scoring position. Uga followed with a run-producing single before Ashley Seward blasted a three-run homer to end another big Everett inning.

  “This is the inning we knew we had to secure more runs,” said Schiavo. “Somerville was hitting the ball, and we could not afford to allow them to get anybody on base. The grass was wet, and the ball was moving quickly on it, so we couldn’t take anything for granted.”

  The Highlanders scored their final three runs in the fourth inning, but their Everett counterparts weren’t done scoring runs when they came to the plate again in the fifth. Arabella Cvitkusic started the fifth off with a homerun. Longmore then singled, and Babcock tripled her home. Skane followed with a sacrifice fly to account for another run. Rossi followed with a double and scored on a hit by Uga, who walked home on a two-run blast by Seward. It was another six-run uprising by the undefeated Tide.

  “The girls were hitting the ball well, constantly making contact on the sweet spot of the bat,” said Schiavo. “It was nice to see a few players who may have been struggling at the plate get hits today when needed.”

  “I never like getting that many runs, but I also did not want to hold the girls on base when they earned the hits they got,” added Schiavo. “Again, the pitchers controlled the ball well during the rain, and although we made some errors in the field, we were able to bounce back with hits on offense.”

  After taking on host Revere on April 19 (after press deadline), the red-hot Crimson Tide will return home to Glendale Park today (April 21) to go up against non-league Boston Latin Academy at 10 a.m.