Tide softball suffers first loss this season to non-league Whittier Tech after seven straight wins

Everett takes on longtime league rivals Malden, Chelsea next week on the road

By Joe McConnell

Well, the Everett High School softball team (8-1) is human after all.
These Crimson Tide girls had won seven straight games, including two against Chelsea (15-2) and Somerville (20-3) to begin last week. They then went on the road to Haverhill to face non-league Whittier Tech last Thursday afternoon, their third game in as many days, and as a result, it might have contributed to the 13-1 loss to the Wildcats. But, like all good teams, they quickly put that loss behind them, and went on to beat host Revere on Patriots Day, 10-4.
The home game against Chelsea on April 15 quickly turned into a five-inning mercy rule rout. Pitcher Peyton Warren went the first three, and gave up just one walk, while striking out five. Her backup Graziella Foster pitched the final two innings, and allowed two hits, one walk and two earned runs, while also fanning five.
The Tide offense quickly got going with four runs in the home half of the first. Arianna Osorio-Bonilla started it off with a double, before stealing third. Olivia Dresser then doubled her home, before Ashley Seward belted a two-run blast. Alexa Uga followed with a triple, and subsequently came home with the fourth run of the frame on a throwing error that tried to nab her at third. Kassidy Rivera and Juliette Romboli were credited with singles to prolong the inning, but were stranded on base to end the uprising.
The Everett girls tacked on another run in the second on a Dresser triple and throwing error from the outfield in an attempt to get her at third.
The home team then broke it open with six runs in the third to extend its lead to 11-0. With one out, Romboli and Jayla Davila singled, before Foster walked to load the bases. Warren then helped her own cause with a two-run double. Osorio-Bonilla followed with a two-run double of her own, and then waltzed home on a two-run round tripper by Dresser to close out the inning in style.
The Red Devils got two back in the fourth, but still trailed, 11-2. In the fifth, the Tide put them out of their misery with four runs, just enough to invoke the mercy rule. Dresser doubled home Osorio-Bonilla with the first run of the inning. Seward then drew a walk, followed by a single from Uga, which knocked in Dresser. Romboli’s hit to the outfield scored the final two runs of the game.
It was another five-inning mercy rule win for Everett at Somerville’s Trum Field the next day. They ended up beating up the Highlanders with a 20-run outburst.
Warren once again only had to pitch three innings. This time, she walked one, and also gave up a hit and an earned run, while whiffing five.
The offense got it going quickly once again with four runs in the top of the first. Osorio-Bonilla drew a walk, before Dresser doubled her home. Uga then drew a walk with one out, before Romboli knocked in Dresser and Davila doubled home Uga with the third and fourth runs of the inning.
In the second, Everett put up 12 more runs. Warren started the inning off with a walk. Osorio-Bonilla followed with a double, before Dresser doubled both of them home. Seward then singled ahead of a double by Uga that accounted for two more runs.
After a strikeout, Romboli drew a walk, before Davila doubled in Uga. Foster then singled in Romboli. Warren kept the inning going with another single. Osorio-Bonilla then walked to load the bases. Dresser was also issued a walk that scored Foster. Warren then came home on a free pass to Seward. Uga knocked in Osorio-Bonilla and Dresser with a single, before Seward completed the scoring in the inning on a fielder’s choice.
The Highlanders got two back, when they came to the plate, but still trailed big after two, 16-2. Davila started the third with a double, and Foster knocked her in with an apparent homerun, but she missed touching third base, and was called out. She was still credited with a double and an RBI on the play to extend the lead to 17-2 after three.
Somerville scored its final run of the game in the fourth, before the Tide finished them off with three more in the fifth. Dresser and Seward started the inning off with walks, before Emma Salvi doubled them home. Foster then completed the onslaught by singling home Salvi.
“I’m incredibly proud of the way our team started (last) week. They were focused and energized, and were ready to execute,” said coach Stacy Schiavo. “Warren and Foster were lights out in the circle, combining for 15 strikeouts over two games, while giving up just two hits in 10 total innings. We set the tone early, and our bats were able to stay hot throughout both games.”
But then, Whittier Tech humbled them with a mercy rule win to close out the week. Warren surrendered 14 hits and five walks that resulted in 10 earned runs. She fanned five.
Everett scored its lone run of the game in the very first inning. Dresser drew a one-out walk, followed by two more walks to Seward and Uga to load the bases. Dresser scored on a hit by Romboli, before the Wildcats shut them down from that point on.
The Wildcats then scored two in the home half to take the lead for good. They added three more in the second, and added four in the fourth and another four in the fifth to close out their offense in this game against Everett.
“I felt like we didn’t bring our best effort,” said Schiavo afterwards. “We were flat, made too many mistakes, and as a result didn’t compete the way we should have. It’s frustrating, but it’s also our first loss, and sometimes a tough one like this one is what a team needs to refocus. I know this group, and I have no doubt we’ll bounce back stronger and hungrier.”
After beating Revere on Monday, the Everett girls then welcomed Medford to town on April 23 after press deadline. They have since been off to get ready for road games against Malden (April 28 at Callahan Park) and Chelsea (April 30 at Carter Park). Both games are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.