Tide softball sweeps past league rival Malden in back-to-back games

Everett will now face non-league Boston Latin on the road in the South End of Boston later today

By Joe McConnell

In a home and home series against Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Malden, the Everett High School softball team won a couple of more games to increase its overall record to 8-1. On April 24, the Everett girls defeated the Golden Tornadoes at Glendale Park, 13-0. Two days later, they completed the sweep with a 17-2 triumph in Malden.

Peyton Warren pitched six innings in the first game, giving up just one hit while fanning seven to secure her second shutout of the season. Warren struck out the side in the first to begin this game in style.

“Peyton did a great job pitching and our defense made the plays to keep runners off the bases, when Malden made contact,” said coach Stacy Poste-Schiavo. “We had to adjust to the speed (of the Malden pitchers), and finally did that in the sixth inning.”

The Tide scored a run in the first to ignite another offensive uprising. Emma Longmore started it off with a double. Alexa Uga then drew a two-out walk, before Gianna Masucci singled home Longmore to account for the run.

The Everett girls broke open the game in the second with five runs. Emilia Maria-Babcock started it off with a double. She then moved to third on a passed ball. Kassidy Rivera and Alessandra Foster followed with walks to load the bases for Longmore who doubled home two. Bryanna Mason repeated the script with another two-run double. Uga then tripled her home to give their teammates a 6-0 lead.

In the home half of the fourth, Mason belted a solo homerun. Everett then finished its scoring with six more runs in the sixth. Uga started it off with a single. Masucci and Ashley Seward followed with walks to load the bases for Emilia Mara-Babcock, who singled in a run. Rivera did the same for the team’s eighth run. Foster reached on an error that resulted in a couple of more runs, before Longmore invoked the mercy rule by tripling in the rest.

Longmore (3-for-5, 4 RBI), Mason (2-for-4, 2 RBI, HR), Uga (2-for-3), Maria-Babcock (2-for-4) and Rivera (3-for-3) led the offense in this game.

In the second game against host Malden on April 26, Warren pitched three innings, and once again issued just one hit to go along with a walk. She ended up whiffing six. Freshman Mia Allen pitched the next two frames. before the mercy rule came into effect for the second straight game. Allen yielded one walk and one hit. She also hit two batters, and allowed two earned runs, but struck out three.

In the top of the first, Longmore reached on an error, and Olivia Dresser was safe on a bunt single. Mason then singled in Longmore, before stealing second. Uga doubled both Dresser and Mason home to extend the lead to three. Seward kept the uprising going by hustling to first after a dropped third strike. The bases were now loaded for Warren, who waited out a walk to produce another run. Arabella Cvitkusic was also issued a walk to account for yet another tally. Longmore, up for the second time in the inning, doubled home two more. Dresser than tripled in both Cvitkusic and Longmore. After a walk to Mason. Uga picked up two more runs with a double. She moved on to third on an error, before coming home as a result of another error. Even before Malden came to the plate, visiting Everett already had a commanding 12-0 lead.

With one out in the second, Longmore doubled. Dresser was then hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced into scoring position for Uga, who doubled them home. She eventually scored herself on a bases loaded walk. The Everett girls now led after two, 14-0.

In the third, the Tide put the icing on the proverbial cake with three more runs. Jayla Davila was hit by a pitch to begin another surge. Cvitkusic and Longmore both walked to load the bases for Dresser, who doubled home two. Uga did the same that produced another run.

“We have really been focusing on our hitting,” said Poste-Schiavo. “We have the defense, but still need to be more consistent throughout the lineup, when runners are on base.

“Peyton has been doing great, and gets better with each passing game. I think that also has to do with the confidence she has in her teammates,” added the veteran Everett coach. “We are not taking any team for granted, and are going to continue to play at our best potential.”

The Everett girls began a brand-new week and the second half of the regular season with a dominating win over Chelsea on April 29, 17-2. It was their ninth victory of the season. More on this game in next Friday’s Everett Advocate. They then took on Lynn Classical two days later at home, before facing non-league Boston Latin at Carter Playground in the South End of Boston later today (May 3) at 3:30 p.m.