Everett’s GBL softball champions get ready for the postseason after wins against Somerville, Cambridge

By Joe McConnell

The Everett High School softball team (18-2) closed out the regular season by winning three out of its final four games. The Tide first defeated visiting Medford in a close encounter, 5-4, on May 15. They then dropped a close 10-8 extra innings (eight) decision to non-league Lowell on Senior Day (May 20) at Glendale Park, before hammering host Somerville the next day, 22-0, and taking down non-league Cambridge in another road game at St. Peter’s Field on May 23, 21-5. As of May 24, the Everett girls are 34^th in the Division 1 power rankings. The state tournament pairings were announced on Wednesday (after press deadline).

Peyton Warren pitched six innings against Medford, giving up six hits, one walk and three earned runs. She fanned five.

The Mustangs produced an early 2-0 lead in the third. But the home team scored three in the home half to take the lead. Olivia Dresser got it going with a two-out single. Bryanna Mason then drew a walk. Alexa Uga then knocked in one with a hit. Ashley Seward followed with an infield hit to load the bases for Emilia Maria-Babcock, who drove home Mason with a walk to account for the tying run. The locals scored the go-ahead run later on in the frame.

With one out in the fourth, they added some insurance. Emma Longmore was credited with a one-out single to shortstop. Dresser was hit by a pitch, followed by an RBI single from Mason that scored Longmore. Uga then drove in Dresser with what turned out to be the game-winning run.

The Mustangs got two back in the sixth, only to fall just short, despite threatening for more in the seventh with a runner on second, but there were already two outs at the time.

“Both our girls and our fans were hyped up for this game,” said coach Stacy Poste-Schiavo. “We lost to [Medford] the first time around, 5-2, but we knew they were beatable. Their pitcher had decent speed on her pitches, which we prepared for in practice [with simulated games]. We also had the pitching machine going, so they were more than ready to take on Medford’s pitcher. Their first five batters are good hitters, so we had to keep the bottom of the lineup off the bases. Our defense was strong, especially in the sixth, when we were able to make enough plays to limit them to just a couple of runs.

“Peyton and Emilia were an amazing battery in this game. They worked well together to not give Medford any good pitches to hit,” added Poste-Schiavo. “We tell them all the time that we can coach them to play, but we can’t coach them to play with heart. That comes from them, and this game proved that.”

Against Lowell, it took eight innings before the visitors eked out a win. Warren pitched all eight, allowing 10 hits, seven walks and nine earned runs. She whiffed three.

Lowell scored first with a run in the opening stanza. But Everett took the lead with four in the second. With one out, Jayla Davila drew a walk and stole second. Arabella Cvitkusic followed with another walk. Stephany DeSouza was then safe on a fielder’s choice, before Alessandra Foster walked to load the bases for Longmore, who knocked in the tying run with a walk. Dresser also drew a free press to produce the second run. Mason singled in the final two runs of the frame.

Lowell got one back in the top half of the third, but the Everett girls scored three more in the fourth to lead by five, 7-2. Longmore started it off with a single, and Dresser walked. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Uga followed with a two-run single to account for the big hit in the inning.

The visitors tied up the proceedings with five in the fifth. It stayed that way throughout the next two innings to force an extra frame. Lowell wasted little time to break the tie with three in the top of the eighth. The home team tried to mount a comeback, but fell short by two runs. Uga doubled home Dresser, who walked, with Everett’s eighth and final run of the game.

“[Lowell] was one of the best teams we faced this spring,” said Poste-Schiavo. “They put the ball in play the most of any team we played this year, which allowed us to show off our defensive skills. Unfortunately, they caught up and took the lead by hitting the vacant spots in the field.”

“Peyton still did a great job [in the circle] with Foster behind the plate,” added the veteran Everett coach. “This was not the way we had hoped Senior Night would turn out, but it was still nice to face the type of competition we may see in the state tournament.”

Against host Somerville, Warren shut out the Highlanders for five innings, before the mercy rule ended the lopsided affair. She yielded just one hit and two walks, while striking out 10.

The Everett girls exploded right away with 12 runs in the first. Gianna Masucci supplied the power with a grand slam. Longmore, Dresser, Seward and Maria-Babcock also contributed with big hits in the inning. They tacked on four more in the second. Uga, Seward and Maria-Babcock came through with the timely hits in the frame.

The Tide completed their offensive assault with another six in the third. Longmore, Seward and Maria-Babcock chipped in with hits that helped produce those runs. The game was called in the fifth, because of the mercy rule.

“The girls were eager to win this game to officially clinch the Greater Boston League [GBL] title,” said Poste-Schiavo. “They were coming off a tough loss to Lowell, and knew this game could not be taken lightly. I can’t say enough about this team, and how amazing they are to coach and watch.”

It was now time for the regular season finale at Cambridge. Warren pitched five innings and gave up seven hits and 10 walks. She fanned four. It was another mercy rule game.

The Everett girls scored four times in the first and led after one, 4-1. Uga was credited with the big hit in the inning when she tripled in two runs.

The visitors tacked on six more runs in the second, and three in the third. Everett led after three, 13-4. They then put up another three in the fourth. Mason doubled in a run, and Uga followed with a two-run double. The Tide closed out their offense with five in the fifth. Longmore doubled in a run. Dresser singled in another, along with Mason and Uga, which helped invoke the mercy rule, once again.

It’s now on to the postseason, and the Tide girls are hoping for a long run well into June. They lost to host Needham last year, 12-0, in the preliminary round.