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By Dom Nicastro
The Saugus High School Spring sports teams made waves this past week, none more so than the varsity softball squad. The Sachems qualified for the state tournament for the ninth consecutive year, capping a stretch of emotional wins with a senior day shutout. Baseball pulled off a seventh-inning comeback at Fraser Field, and the co-op tennis program picked up a strong win over Nashoba.
Softball charges into playoffs with signature wins and senior day shutout
The Saugus High School softball team entered the most critical week of its season needing at least two wins to keep its playoff streak alive. By the end of it, the Sachems had rattled off four victories, improved to 10-8 and punched their ticket to the state tournament for the ninth straight year.
The week’s highlight came on senior day, when the Sachems blanked Swampscott, 9-0. “That puts us at 10-8 and qualifies us for the state tournament for the ninth consecutive year,” Head Coach Steve Almquist reported.
That win followed a stunning 11-4 upset over Division 1 Peabody — what Almquist called their signature performance of the season. “Every year we seem to have that one game where we are not expected to win but somehow manage to steal it, and today was that game,” he said. “I don’t think many people saw this one coming, but the kids certainly rose to the challenge.”
Saugus jumped out early with runs in the first, third and fourth, including RBI singles by Alannah Duong, Lily Ventre and Maria Silva. Senior Taylor Deleidi started in the circle and threw five strong innings, giving up just four earned runs and holding Peabody scoreless until the fifth. Ventre broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run to deep left center, and then did it again in the sixth with a “moon shot into the trees,” according to Almquist.
The Sachems sent 10 batters to the plate in that sixth inning, putting up six runs to seal the win. Senior Hannah Duong added a clutch two-run double, and the Deleidi sisters (Taylor and Sydney) combined for three more RBIs. Sofia McCarrier closed out the game with two shutout innings.
“We exploded on offense today, hammering out 17 hits,” Almquist said.
Ventre finished four-for-four with two homers, three RBIs and two runs scored. After the game, Almquist noted she was hitting .792 on the season.
Earlier in the week, the Sachems took down Salem, 5-2, behind Taylor Deleidi’s career-high nine strikeouts. Ventre capped the win with a solo home run — her 100th career RBI. “She carried us to the much-needed win,” Almquist said of Deleidi’s performance.
Two days later, Saugus beat Watertown, 16-4, in five innings, fueled by a three-run homer from freshman Alannah Duong, her team-leading third of the year. Ventre plated two more runs with a single, scoring her 100th and 101st career runs in the process. Earlier in the season, she recorded her 100th career hit. “I haven’t seen anything like it during my tenure here,” Almquist said. “And it couldn’t be happening to a nicer kid.”
The only stumble came when the Sachems dropped a 9-3 road game to Danvers. Saugus managed three runs in the seventh, but the Falcons had already built a 7-0 lead. McCarrier and Taylor Deleidi split duties on the mound against a tough lineup.
Baseball stages thrilling comeback against Lynn English
Saugus baseball pulled off a wild 7-6 comeback win over Lynn English at Fraser Field, scoring six runs in the top of the seventh to flip a 5-1 deficit. Senior captain Cam Bernard pitched five innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out five. Junior Jordan Rodriguez picked up the win in relief, and Brayden Crawford notched the save with two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh to stop an English rally.
Senior Cam Soroko led the offensive charge with a triple, three walks, two stolen bases and a late RBI. Senior captain Danny Zeitz and Cam Bernard each had singles in the seventh-inning surge. Senior Javy Cruz-Fuentes also added a hit, and Connor Bloom and Nathan Soroko contributed doubles.
The team fell 6-3 to Salem in the next game. Crawford went six innings, striking out nine and allowing only two earned runs. Soroko and Bloom each had extra-base hits in the loss.
Tennis co-op edges Nashoba, closes regular season
The Northeast Metro Tech boys tennis team — featuring Saugus players Vinny Phan, Jeff Trinh, Grant Leonard, Cornyn Meas, Rayan Mrabbi and Robbie Ciampa — picked up a 5-2 win over Nashoba on May 16. Phan cruised to an 8-1 win at No. 2 singles, and Leonard partnered with Emanuelly Venancio for an 8-1 win at second doubles. Meas and Giselle Benitez won third doubles 8-6.
Earlier in the week, the team narrowly lost (4-3) to Fellowship. Phan fell in a tight 10-9 tiebreaker after rallying from 0-4 down in what coach Albert Turco called “a heartbreaker.” Trinh (8-2) and Gianna Berry (8-4) notched wins in singles, and Benitez and Ciampa delivered an 8-0 sweep at third doubles.
The team closed out the week with a 7-0 loss to Shawsheen, though senior Matt Cipriano nearly made history with a 7-9 battle at No. 1 singles — coming within one point of the co-op’s first-ever top-line win over the Rams.
