Crimson Tide Sports Weekly Notebook Featuring wins for softball, baseball, volleyball and girls tennis

By Joe McConnell

Girls softball blows away Chelsea

With Mia Allen (2 innings 4 strikeouts, 4 walks, 0 hits, 0 earned runs) back in the circle, the Everett High School softball team (3-1) closed out last week on April 15 by dominating longtime Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Chelsea on the road, 27-1. Victoria Cutler (2 strikeouts, 0 walks, 3 hits, 0 earned runs) pitched the final three innings in this mercy rule game.

“We came out swinging,” said coach Stacy Schiavo. “I thought we did a good job being patient. We were able to take advantage of what they gave us, and Mia gave us a solid start in the circle, while Victoria finished it off strong. Defensively, we made the plays that we needed to make.”

The Crimson Tide put up five runs right away in the top half of the first inning. Arianna Osorio-Bonilla quickly set the tone of the game with a leadoff solo blast.

Meghan Comerford then reached on an error, and immediately stole second, before Allen drew a walk, followed by another free pass to Juliette Romboli, which loaded the bases with one out.

Comerford scored the second run of the game on a passed ball, and Kyleigh Ridlon singled home Allen with run No. 3. After Ridlon stole second to get two into scoring position, McKenzie Rivera singled in Romboli. Ridlon accounted for the final run of the inning on a fielder’s choice.

The Tide tacked on nine more in the second. Osorio-Bonilla tripled to leadoff this uprising. Comerford followed with a walk, before Allen singled in one. Olivia Dresser was then safe on an error that scored Comerford with the second run of the frame. Allen scored on a passed ball. Ridlon kept the offense moving with a base hit, and subsequently stole second to put runners in scoring position, once again. With two outs, Bianca Moran-Leal and Morgan Salvi both reached via errors to account for another two runs, and a short time later Osorio-Bonilla singled them home. Comerford brought her home with a single, while Allen continued the onslaught with a base hit, setting the stage for Dresser, who knocked in Comerford with the ninth, and final run of the inning.

The Everett girls kept on pouring it on with six more runs in the third to extend the lead to 20-0. Ridlon doubled to get this uprising going, before McKenzie Rivera singled her home. Allen later walked with the bases loaded to bring home the second run of the inning. Ridlon was credited with a run producing single. Their other three runs in that inning were unearned.

It was 24-0 at the end of four after the visitors put four more up on the scoreboard. Osorio-Bonilla had an RBI triple. Romboli knocked in a run on a bases loaded walk.

Everett closed out its scoring in the fifth with three runs. Comerford and Cutler had bases loaded walks, and Dresser singled in the third run. The Red Devils finally got untracked with their lone run of the game in the home half.

Following road games against Medford (April 21) and Lynn Classical (April 23) after press deadlines, the Everett girls will begin a new week at Glendale on Monday, April 27, versus Somerville at 4 p.m. They will then be at non-league Cambridge the next day to face the Falcons at 4:30 p.m. With no rest for the weary, they will be at Malden to go up against the Golden Tornadoes at Callahan Park on April 29, before coming home to start a new month against non-league Watertown on May 1. Both games are scheduled for 4 p.m.

Tide baseball shuts out the Red Devils to secure second win

The EHS baseball team (2-6) also had its way with Chelsea. The game was in front of the home folks at Glendale Park on April 15, and the Boys of Spring entertained them with a 16-0 five inning mercy rule shutout win. However, the first game to kick off spring school vacation week did not go as well, when the Medford Mustangs humbled them at home to the tune of 11-1 on April 21.

Freshman Luke Wood (0 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts) pitched the first three innings against the Red Devils to pick up his first varsity win. Armani Negron went one inning on the mound, striking out two. Charlie Govostes threw the final inning, allowing just one walk, while fanning three.

The Everett offense sprayed 11 hits around the field to help account for its 16 runs. Wood helped his own cause with a single and a double, scoring both times. He also had one stolen base. His classmate Christian Bruno was credited with two singles and scored a run. Louis Quintanilla, another freshman, doubled in a run, and also scored a run. Sophomore M.J. Guida singled in a run and was hit by a pitch to go along with one stolen base. Junior Tyler Freni also knocked in a run with a single, and he too stole a base. He also walked twice and scored two runs.

Govostes was another one of the team’s top hitters with a single and two RBI. He walked once, stole a base and scored three times, as well. Negron produced a run with a single. Freshman Caden Foley was credited with a single, two walks and three RBI. He scored once. Anderson Santiago and Negron each scored two runs on a single and a walk.

Following the aforementioned game against Medford, Lynn Classical came to town on April 23 after press deadline. They will begin next week against the Highlanders at Somerville’s Trum Field on Monday, April 27, at 4 p.m., before returning home to Glendale to face Malden two days later at the same time. They will then begin a new month against Mystic Valley at Malden Catholic on Friday, May 1, at 4:30 p.m.

Volleyball team wins two in a row

After getting shutout by Revere, 3-0, the Crimson Tide boys volleyball team (3-6) bounced back nicely to beat non-league Lynn Tech (April 16) and rival Medford (April 21) by identical 3-1 scores.

Senior Matheus Teixeira Fernandes led all players with 20 serves that included five aces to propel his teammates past the Tigers out of the Commonwealth Athletic Conference. He was also the leader in kills with 17, which brought his season total to 64.

Senior captain Christian Ramirez served 17 times, and he too collected five aces. Junior Adam Bousbaa was also dominant on the court with 14 serves, 10 kills, and 3 blocks. Freshman Miguel Rodovanski did his part in the winning effort with 9 kills, 7 serves and 1 block. Junior Samir Dervisevic was credited with seven serves, and also came up with three blocks. Noel Lopez Ardon chipped in with 14 serves, 3 aces and 3 kills.

Ramirez also factored into the win against the Mustangs with 11 serves and 4 aces. Bousbaa was the leader in kills with 15 to go along with 1 block.

Junior Donart Maksutaj returned from an illness to tally 15 serves, 7 kills and 1 block. Sophomore Danilo Teixeira Fernandes accounted for 18 serves in addition to one ace and a block.

Junior Akush Gurung was credited with 10 serves, 1 ace and 3 kills. Senior defensive specialist Isaque Agostinho helped out with a kill. Fernandes turned in another fine effort with 12 serves and 14 kills.

The Everett boys have since wrapped up spring school vacation week against host Malden on April 22 after press deadline. The Tide are now getting ready for Chelsea, when they come to the EHS gym for a GBL matchup on Monday, April 27, at 5:15 p.m. Lynn Classical (April 29) and Lynn Tech (May 1) will follow the Red Devils to town to complete next week’s schedule. Both of those matches will also begin at 5:15 p.m.

Hard work pays off for girls tennis

The Everett High girls tennis team (1-5) dropped its first five matches of the year, including the latest against host Malden on April 15. They failed to win a set in each of those matches, but that all changed on Tuesday, April 21, when they defeated Lynn Classical at home, 4-1.

Coach Courtney Meninger had a good idea that the pendulum was going to swing the other way after her team’s performance against the Golden Tornadoes. “The girls won more individual matches within each set against Malden than in the previous four losses this year, which (demonstrated) to me their hard work in practice is now showing up in matches,” said Meninger. “We then carried over that momentum and confidence into the match against a good Lynn Classical team.”

First singles player Brigitte Parada forced her match into a third set that she barely lost to her Rams opponent, 4-6.

Trina Le played exceptionally well in second singles, according to Meninger, who then added, “(Le) was able to fight back after losing the first set to tie things up to force a third set, where she (persevered), 6-4.”

Thy Phanhang came up big in third singles, winning the match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0.

The winning continued in first doubles, when the tandem of Sophia Hernandez and Lizy Castro shut down its opponents, 6-0 6-0. Luna Sepulveda and Ashely Pineda, playing second doubles, maintained the trend to help seal the deal on Everett’s first win of the year, 6-1, 6-0.

The Everett girls concluded the spring school vacation schedule against visiting Lynn English on April 22 after press deadline. They will return to the courts at Revere on Monday, April 27, before coming home to face non-league Lowell the next day at Rosetti Park. Without a break in the schedule, they will head to Medford to go up against the Mustangs on April 29 and then begin a new month at home versus Malden on Friday, May 1. All four of these matches will start at 4 p.m.