The Amesbury softball coaching staff bought the team ice cream at practice Friday before Saturday’s Division 3 North final against St. Mary’s.
“We made it low-key, because I didn’t want them to get caught up in the hype,” coach Jacquie Waters said.
The ice cream did its trick. In a gridlocked battle that went to extra innings, the top-seeded Indians stayed cool. When Olivia DeLong launched a single to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning, Ella Bezanson came from second to score, propelling Amesbury to a 3-2 walkoff win.
“Just make good contact,” DeLong said on the pivotal play. “It doesn’t have to be a home run — just grind it out.”
Most of the matchup was a grind, as both sides watched a phenomenal pitchers’ duel. Junior Alana DeLisle struck out seven batters for Amesbury (15-0) and walked none, giving up one earned run in the complete game win. For the Spartans (20-3), Lily Newhall fanned eight hitters and didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning.
“I think it was my biggest [game],” DeLisle said. “I was just trying my best to keep them off balance.”
Said Waters: “Alana’s in a different world. She’s a survivor. Alana is that kid who wants to be a controller.”
After each frame, DeLisle would strategize with her catcher — and younger sister — Ella, whom she credits as a guiding presence throughout the afternoon.
“I just did what Ella told me — honestly, like always, I just do what she told me, and it works for the most part,” DeLisle said.
Both squads showed cracks in the armor later in the game. After a ground ball error opened the bottom of the fifth inning and another runner got on base, sophomore Lauren Celia sliced a single down the left field line to give Amesbury a 2-0 lead. But Amesbury gave it right back in the sixth, overthrowing plays at first and third base as St. Mary’s scored two runs of its own.
Unforced errors could have rattled Amesbury’s cage. But the players remained composed and confident.
“They were going into the bottom of the seventh like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna win this thing now,’” Waters said. “They were just so relaxed about it and ready to do it, so it was kind of cool.”
Amesbury forges ahead to the D3 state semifinals and awaits the winner of Case and West Bridgewater. But a sectional championship sure feels great for the players, who have a milestone marker atop their unbeaten season.
“I think it just puts a title on everything for this season,” DeLisle said. “I think everyone has put in a ton of work and tried their hardest. The coaches have been super supportive and haven’t really let winning get to our heads, and everything like that. So it’s just kind of like: We made it.”
Division 1 North
Billerica 3, Peabody 1 — Analise Grady did not inherit an ideal situation.
The Billerica junior was called on in relief in the bottom half of the second inning, with a Peabody runner on third, no outs, and the Indians trailing, 1-0, in the North final.
Grady responded with six hitless innings, striking out eight, with just two walks as 17th-seeded Billerica (13-7) rallied for the win against previously-unbeaten Peabody.
”Annalise has been coming in later in games for us this year and today she just came in and threw great,” Billerica coach Patty Higgins said.
The Indians surged ahead, 2-1, in the fifth inning on RBI singles from Samantha Gaona and Jessica Maillet.
”We just kept trying to put it in play and play little ball, but in the end it was all about the players coming through,” Higgins said.
Zaria Jean-Pierre socked a solo homer in the top of the seventh that was contested because of concerns about her re-entering the game after leaving for a pinch runner earlier in the game. Grady took advantage of the lead and dominated in relief, seemingly having every Peabody hitter off balance, blending her overpowering fastball with a deceiving changeup.
“Even if the changeup doesn’t work it messes them up somehow, because the next pitch they’re in front of it or behind it, but I trust my changeup with my whole heart,” Grady said.
Billerica will play the Bridgewater-Raynham/Taunton winner in a state semifinal.
”I cried so much when we didn’t have a season last year and I’m so glad we came out the way we did and our energy has been so great all year,” Grady said.
Division 2 North
Danvers 7, Tewksbury 3 — It came down to starting pitcher vs. starting pitcher as Danvers ace Lily Eldridge looked in toward Tewksbury starter Whitney Gigante standing at the plate, the Redmen down to their final strike. Eldridge calmly delivered a pitch past the swinging Gigante as the Falcons bench and traveling fans erupted.
The story was Eldridge all afternoon at a warm and humid Hazel Field in Tewksbury with a D2 North title on the line. She threw all seven innings and struck out nine, looking calm and collected all the way through the Falcons’ victory. She also contributed with a big double in the first inning to help Danvers jump out to a quick 2-0 lead.
“Honestly she’s just a true leader from start to finish, in practice, in the dugout, on the field, off the field, all the time,” Danvers coach Colleen Newbury said.
The bats were out early for the Falcons as Brooke Grassia, Ava Gray, Emily Goddard, Makayla Cunningham, Sadie Papamechail, and Eldridge all had hits in the first two innings. It was leadoff hitter Grassia who led the effort, going 4 for 4.
“When she gets going, everyone gets going,” Newbury said. “She’s our go-to offensively.”
Samantha Ryan came on in the second inning for the Redmen in relief of Gigante and pitched the rest of the game. After a tough second inning on the mound, she only gave up two runs the rest of the way. She also went 1 for 3 at the plate, was the first hitter to get on base, and the first runner to score for Tewksbury.
The Redmen tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, but a leadoff double from Ashley Giordano and an RBI single from Paige Talbot weren’t enough.
Division 1 South
Taunton 4, Bridgewater-Raynham 0 — After a few showers passed through the area, the Tigers were relegated to making a sandlot in the outfield at Jack Tripp Field to practice bunting and slap defense.
It worked out just fine. Senior Kelsey White did not allow a ball to get past the infield in theirSouth final win over 11th-seeded Bridgewater-Raynham.
“We were prepared for the little game and I think it showed,” Taunton coach Carrie Consalvi said.
In her fourth complete game in six days, White fanned 15 batters and gave up just three hits — all infield singles — to the Trojans (13-5). She also helped her cause with a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth inning that flew well past the fence in left field.
“I’m not tired actually,” White said. “We’re just ready for each game thrown at us so we come prepared every game.”
Taunton’s sparkplug on offense was junior Angie Lynch. Leading off the bottom of the first, she roped a single and then aggressively advanced to third on a groundout. She trotted home on a two-run homer from senior Hanna Aldrich.
In the third inning, Lynch was hit by a pitch, advanced to third again on a bunt attempt, and then scored on a sacrifice fly to put the Tigers (18-0) up by three.
“On the bases, I don’t even think,” Lynch said. “Well I do, obviously, but I don’t worry about this or that, I believe in myself so I go.”
Since there’s no neutral site tournament games this year, the Tigers will be in the unique situation of hosting a state semifinal game Monday (7 p.m.) against North champion Billerica.
“A lot of these older senior players are making sacrifices right now,” Consalvi said. “They’re not playing with their travel teams, they’re not playing with their club, they’re putting this first and to be at their home field is a bonus for them. I feel like it’s the little thing they get back for all the sacrifices they’re making.”
Division 2 South
Dighton-Rehoboth 5, Middleborough 3 — Just when it seemed undefeated and top-seeded Middleborough was going to snatch the game away, third-seeded D-R fought back, scoring two runs in the seventh inning and shutting down a last-gasp threat to capture the sectional championship on the road.
Winning pitcher Eliana Raposo was ecstatic after escaping a two-on, no-outs jam in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back strikeouts.
“That was the best feeling in the world,” she said after finishing with six strikeouts and one run allowed in 6⅓ innings. “It was crazy. I blacked out for a second. I was like ‘Oh my God!’ I’ve wanted this since freshman year and it’s great that it happened now with the team we have. I love our team. I wouldn’t want to win it with anyone else.”
Under the direction of first-year coach Katie Holmes, the Falcons (11-1) scored three times in the top of the first without hitting the ball out of the infield. An error, two infield singles, a dropped third strike and an RBI groundout gave D-R an early advantage.
After loading the bases with nothing to show for it in the second, Middleborough (19-1) got one run back in the fourth when sophomore Alex Welch (3 for 3, walk) ripped the first of her two triples and Eva Jenness singled her home.
When D-R replaced Raposo in the sixth, Middleborough took advantage. After tripling again, Welch snuck home during a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play. Leanne McDonald then doubled and scored on a hit by Lexi Bouldry to tie the game at 3-3.
The Falcons turned right around with back-to-back singles from Nicole Corey and Lucy Latour. Corey raced home on a wild pitch and Latour added an insurance run on an error.
“We have six seniors on this team who wanted this so bad,” said Holmes, who played at Apponequet and served as an assistant at Wareham, West Springfield and Nichols College before landing the D-R job. “They were working all year during COVID. They were here doing captain’s practices as soon as they could. I couldn’t have asked to come in for my first year and have a better group of girls.”
D-R, aiming for the school’s first softball state title since 1990, will host North champion Danvers at 5 p.m. Monday.
Division 3 South
Case 11, West Bridgewater 0 — The eighth-seeded Cardinals (10-3) are headed to the state semifinals thanks to a sectional-winning shutout performance from Hailey Berube. Olivia Silva plated three runs on a double, and Lily Picard scored three on three hits in the South final in West Bridgewater. The No. 2 seed Wildcats finished 11-2.
Globe correspondents Colin Bannen reported from Peabody, Adam Doucette from Tewksbury, Brendan Kurie from Middleborough, and Steven Sousa from Taunton. Globe correspondent Ethan McDowell contributed.
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Sectional championship is a cool, sweet topping for Amesbury softball - The Boston Globe
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