Resilient Everett beats Classical, English in Lynn on consecutive days to remain undefeated

Shorthanded Tide softball heads to Medford to face the Mustangs Monday afternoon

By Joe McConnell

Coach Stacy Poste-Schiavo’s Everett High School softball team (5-0) couldn’t ask for a better start to the season. The defending Greater Boston League (GBL) champs have won their first five games of the 2024 campaign, including recent road wins over Lynn Classical (16-8, April 9) and a nailbiter against Lynn English (7-6, April 10).

Peyton Warren pitched all seven innings against the host Rams after issuing nine hits and two walks, while fanning nine. She allowed six earned runs, and hit two batters.

“This was such a great game against Classical,” said Poste-Schiavo. “They hung in there with us until the sixth. I then knew we had to play great defense the next two innings, because this is a team that can come back with the best batters at the top of their lineup.

“But Peyton did an amazing job in the circle. She never lost that tough mentality, plus she had the defense backing her up,” added Poste-Schiavo. “When we were on offense, we hit the ball hard and where it was needed.”

Emma Longmore (3-for-4), Gianna Masucci (3-for-6, 2 RBI), Alexa Uga (3-for-4) and Ashley Seward (3-for-5) paced the Tide’s offensive attack against the Rams.

The Everett girls scored three times in the top half of the first. Longmore led off with a double. Emilia Maria-Babcock followed with a bunt that resulted in an errant throw to first that accounted for the first run of the game, which also put Maria-Babcock on third. She eventually scored on an Uga single. Seward was then safe on a fielder’s choice, putting Uga on second, where she came home on a Bryanna Mason double.

The Rams got one back in the home half of the first. But the visitors quickly regained the three-run advantage in the second. Warren was hit by a pitch to begin the threat. Longmore then singled, before the Tide pulled off a successful double steal. Maria-Babcock was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for Masucci, who reached base on a fielder’s choice, which brought home the team’s fourth run of the game.

But it didn’t stay that way for long, because Lynn Classical was able to tie up the game at four in the home half of the second with three runs.

However, the locals scored three more times in the third to regain for good. Seward started it off with a double, before moving to third on a passed ball. Mason then doubled her home. Arabela Cvitkusic supplied the power in the inning with a two-run shot over the fence.

In the fourth, Uga and Mason singled, and Cvitkusic was hit by a pitch to load the bases, which led to two more runs for Everett.

Gianna Masucci then doubled to leadoff the fifth. She then stole third, before waltzing home on a double by Uga.

Jayla Davila drew a walk to begin the sixth. Longmore was then hit by a pitch. Both moved up into scoring position on a passed ball. Maria-Babcock then singled them home, and scored herself on a single by Masucci. Seward followed with a walk, and Mason then singled, scoring Masucci. They too moved up into scoring position on a passed ball, where Seward kept on coming home for another run. After Cvitkusic walked, Warren singled in Mason to close out the Everett offense in this game.

The excitement of another win was tempered somewhat, when Uga had to leave the game with an injury.

Against the Bulldogs, Warren pitched the first two innings, before giving way to freshman Mia Allen in the third. Allen fanned six and walked seven over the next five frames. She hit five batters. Warren had to come out of the game in the third after a liner hit her elbow. The team was now down two of its star players, but they still found a way to come out on top.

Olivia Dresser singled to the outfield, and then moved to second on a passed ball. Seward with two outs popped up, but it dropped safely behind the pitcher, which allowed Dresser to score the first run of the game.

In the third, Dresser was credited with a one-out double. Now with two outs, Seward reached second on an error by the first baseman after Dresser crossed the plate for the second time in the game. Mason followed with a double that scored Seward to give their teammates a 3-0 lead.

The home team got one back in the home half of the third, but solid Everett defense prevented further damage, led by rookie hurler Mia Allen. “This was Mia’s first game pitching for the varsity, and she handled the pressure very well.” said Poste-Schiavo. “With the bases loaded, she got out of the third (unscathed) after relieving Warren, who was injured on the aforementioned liner. This was the second game a starter got hurt and had to leave the game. The mood of the game changed, but (we) never gave up.”

The Bulldogs pushed four across the plate in the fifth to take the lead, 5-3. But undefeated Everett tied the game up again in the sixth. Mason started the rally off with a single, and scored on a bunt that was overthrown past first base. A short time later, Maria-Babcock scored on a sacrifice bunt by Davila.

The Bulldogs got the lead right back in the sixth, but the Tide scored twice more in the seventh to win it. Masucci doubled with two outs. and scored on a hard-hit ball out to right by Seward, who then moved to second on a passed ball. Mason tripled her home with what turned out to be the game-winning run.

“I’m so proud of this team these past two days,” said Poste-Schiavo after the English game. “They watched one teammate get hurt against Classical, and then another one the next day on the same field in Lynn. They knew what they had to do, and they got the job done. The defense supported Mia. They wanted this win for their injured teammates. They played with heart, and that is what this game is about.”

The Tide went on to defeat non-league host O’Bryant, 15-8 last Friday, April 12. They then smoked visiting Somerville on Patriots Day, 12-1. More on these games in next Friday’s Everett Advocate.