(Amesbury) The difference between the two teams was obvious even before the first pitch was thrown.
Amesbury started four seniors while Georgetown started five eighth graders, including the pitcher and the catcher.
“We’re inexperienced,” understated Royals’ coach Jay Santomassino afterwards.
Amesbury (2-0) took full advantage in the second inning gathering eleven runs on their way to a, 17-0, shutout.
Senior Alana Delisle got the start and notched thirteen strikeouts often overpowering the youthful Royals.
“It was super fun to be pitching again,” said Alana post-game. “Since July I have been playing travel ball and Ella (catcher) is on the team. We’ve done a lot of pitch/catch together.”
Everyone in the Amesbury lineup contributed to their offense. Izzy Levasseur, however, was the hitting star with three hits, three runs scored, and five RBI.
Ella Bezanson had three hits and three runs scored. Leadoff batter Ella Delisle added two hits and scored four times.
“It’s fun to watch Amesbury as a spectator but not as a coach,” Coach Santomassino said with a smile afterwards.
“I told the team that Amesbury battles for the state championship every year,” he said. “They are very good.”
After facing hard-throwing Abby Bettencourt of Peabody two days earlier it was a problem for some of the Amesbury hitters early on to time Madelyn Grant’s slower pitches.
“It did throw us off a bit,” said AHS coach Jacquie Waters afterwards. “We tried to bring the pitching machine down yesterday to get used to slower speed. I thought that the Georgetown pitchers moved the ball around pretty well.” Five Amesbury hitters struck out.
Two of the strikeouts came during Amesbury’s fifteen-batter, eleven-run second inning.
A triple (Liv DeLong) and three doubles were part of the hitting attack that led to eleven runs during that separation second inning.
Ella Bezanson, freshman Lexi LeBlanc, and Olivia Levasseur each had two hits in the second inning.
Georgetown (0-2) finished with three hits. Allison Mansfield led the game off with a rip hit to centerfield. In the third inning, Cora Robinson dropped a nice bunt for a hit while teammate Madelyn Grant singled to center.
Most of the time, however, the Royals struggled to make contact while Amesbury made steady contact.
“There are teams ahead in the schedule that we will be much more competitive with,” said Coach Santomassino. “Hopefully the next time we face Amesbury the score will be closer.”
“I thought Alana (Delisle) did a very good job,” said Ella Bezanson afterwards. “Our hitting was also very good. The pitching today was certainly at a lot different pace.”
Alana Delisle will be at Southern Maine next year along with Ella Bezanson and Olivia Levasseur. “It is a place where I can play softball and major in nursing,” Alana, said. “Neither Ella nor I knew that the other had committed there. Olivia committed after we did. We get to play four years of softball together.”
There was a forecast of rain, but it never happened.
The mystery of the missing Amesbury uniforms continues unsolved. There is now a rush order in for a new set of uniforms.
(The pictures will enlarge.)
McClelland Miscellanea 