8-run second inning keys 11-2 Chelmsford win over Newburyport

Taylor Rowsell scores the 8th Chelmsford run

Amy Sullivan tagged out at the plate by Carly Rennie

(Newburyport MA) Chelmsford defeated Newburyport, 11-2, in non-league softball game on a sunny Monday morning.

This game was settled in the second inning. How? Any time you have an inning in which one team slugs three triples and the other team commits four errors you can be sure the damage will be significant. And it was.

Chelmsford (7-1) sent twelve batters to the plate in that second inning and eight of them crossed home plate before the inning was over.

Catherine Nestor, Carly Rennie, and Libby Mercuri each tripled over outfielder’s heads in the decisive frame off of NHS starter Vicki Allman. Because the Lions were such good hitters, it was imperative that the Clippers limit the CHS at-bats with tight defense. Not in this inning. Infielders Molly Kelley, Jade Carpenter, and Meghan Stanton all picked up errors.

Abby Desrosiers (scholarship to Merrimack)

I’m going to beat that error thing to death but it was such a big part of this game. Chelmsford scored a run in the first on an attempt by Abby Desrosiers to steal third. The throw from catcher Lauren Singer went past third baseman Jade Carpenter enabling Abby to continue on home with the Lions’ first run.

Ahead, 9-0, after two innings, Chelmsford put runners on first and second with one out in the third inning with Stephanie Gleason now pitching for Newburyport. A throwing error (Meghan Stanton) loaded the bases and Carly Rennie singled to center driving in two more runs.

A week ago Newburyport (3-3) was able to get a win over Amesbury, 16-15, because the Clippers were able to put an eight-run inning together. Not against Chelmsford. CHS coach Bruce Rich used three pitchers (Jackie Arndt, Meg Dugas, and Erin O’Keefe) and kept NHS away from a big inning.

The Clippers had five hits and stranded six baserunners in the first three innings but came away with no runs. CHS starter junior Jackie Arndt K’d Lauren Singer to end a two-on, two-out situation in the first. In the second, NHS had two more on (singles Molly Kelley and Vicki Allman) with only one out but Jackie escaped by striking out Morgan Johnston and getting Ashley Hodge to pop to shortstop Abby Desrosiers. In the third inning the Clippers had a walk (Amy Sullivan) and two hits (Carly Siemasko and Lauren Singer) and came up empty again as rightfielder Catherine Nestor nailed Amy Sullivan at the plate after Lauren’s single.

Carly Siemasko (3 hits and an RBI)

Newburyport avoided the shutout with unearned runs in the sixth and seventh innings. An error by shortstop Abby Desrosiers in the sixth gave NHS an extra out and the Clippers loaded the bases. Carly Siemasko drove in the Newburyport run singling to deep short. Outfielders McKenzie Lalumiere and Catherine Nestor ended that inning (bases loaded) nearly colliding on a fly ball to right center. McKenzie, however, came away with the catch.

The NHS run in the 7th came after a second Abby Desrosiers error enabled Meghan Stanton to reach. The Clippers would get runners on first and third. With two outs the runner on first got in a rundown while Meghan scampered home from third.

Freshman Meg Dugas pitched 3 1/3 innings while senior Erin O’Keefe recorded the last two outs for the Lions.

Junior Carly Siemasko reached base all four times getting three hits and a walk.

Meg Dugas had three hits for Chelmsford. Carly Rennie knocked in three runs to pace CHS in that category.