Tide softball shows no mercy against Malden, Chelsea to record two more wins

Everett now gets ready to play host to Somerville, Revere next week at Glendale

By Joe McConnell

With rain wiping out Monday’s game against Lynn Classical, the Everett High School softball team (10-2) was officially off for seven days since it defeated host Chelsea, 22-2 on April 30. The Crimson Tide were scheduled to finally return to the diamond on Wednesday (May 7) against host Lynn English after press deadline. Prior to that Chelsea game, coach Stacy Schiavo’s team had another decisive win, this time over host Malden two days earlier, 32-2.

In the five-inning mercy rule game against Malden, Mia Allen gave up just one hit, three walks and one earned run. She ended up fanning six.

The Everett bats came out swinging right away in the first inning, putting up 11 runs. Allen helped her own cause with a single and a double. Juliette Romboli (2 doubles), Emma Salvi (1 double), Olivia Dresser (single), Alexa Uga (single), Graziella Foster (single) and Mia Oliva (single) also contributed to the offensive onslaught.

The Everett girls tacked on six more runs in the second. Salvi (single) and Luiza Velev (single) supplied the hits in the frame, while the rest of the offense took advantage of walks.

The runs kept on coming for Everett in the third. They accounted for another six, before the Golden Tornadoes broke through with two runs in the home half. The Everett hits in this inning came from Dresser (single), Romboli (single), Foster (single), Oliva (single) and Velev (single).

In the fourth, the Tide once again produced six runs, and Dresser (2 singles), Romboli (single), Uga (single), Salvi (double) and Allen (single) had the hits. They were then credited with three runs in the fifth to complete the offensive assault. Foster (single), Salvi (single) and Oliva (single) accounted for the hits in this frame.

Allen then finished off Malden in style with two strikeouts in the bottom of the inning, before shortstop Olivia Dresser fired a strike to first baseman Graziella Foster to officially end this mercy rule rout.

It was now time for Chelsea, and Allen was ready to win another game via the mercy rule. Through this abbreviated five-inning game, she accounted for four walks, one hit and two earned runs, while whiffing 12.

The Everett offense wasted no time once again to get going with six runs in the first. Dresser (single), Uga (triple), Romboli (single), Oliva (single) and Allen (single) supplied the hits during this uprising. Allen then set the tone in the circle by retiring the Red Devils in order, all on strikeouts, in the bottom of the first.

The offense followed with five more runs in the second. There were only two hits during this surge, and Talyciah Arrington (single) and Dresser (double) provided them, while the team’s offense in this inning was made up of mostly walks.

There was no letup in the third. Everett scored eight more runs to widen the gap to 19-0. Romboli helped supply the power with a homerun and a single. Salvi (2 singles), Oliva (single), Dresser (double) and Velev (single) had the other Everett hits in this inning. They then closed out their offensive production in the fourth with three runs on hits by Arrington (single), Allen (single) and Uga (double). Walks, however, were once again responsible for most of the offense.

Chelsea avoided the shutout in the home half with its only two runs of the game. Neither team scored in the fifth, before the mercy rule came into play for the second straight game.

“I’m really proud of how our team played,” said Schiavo, “but I also have a lot of respect for Malden and Chelsea. They showed a lot of heart by staying in it and playing hard until the end.”

After Wednesday’s aforementioned game at Lynn English, the Everett girls took on host Lowell last night (May 8), also after press deadline. They will have two home games at Glendale Park next week against Somerville (Monday, May 12, 4 p.m.) and Revere (Wednesday, May 14, 6 p.m.). As of May 6, the Tide is seeded 38^th in the Division 1 power rankings. There are 55 teams in this division.