Monthly Archives: April 2022

April 12, 2022 · 11:21 pm

Newburyport dominates Masco 15-3

Newburyport had plenty to celebrate today vs Masco

(Newburyport) Very surprising.

Both teams were 16-1 last year and both had won their first two games this year.

A girls lacrosse game between two such teams figured to be close………..but it wasn’t.

Newburyport started fast and Masconomet never recovered.

The final was 15-3 in a non-league game on Tuesday afternoon.

The entire second half was played using running time.

The Clippers (3-0) scored three times in the first 4 ½ minutes. Masco called a timeout. The Clippers came out of the timeout and added four more goals in the next 2 ½ minutes. This one had “long game” written all over it in a hurry for the team from Boxford.

“When we play that fast and move the ball that well, it’s even hard for another team to set up a defense,” explained Newburyport coach Catherine Batchelder afterwards.

The Clippers sped into the Masco end early and often and outnumbered their defenders. Good passing then set up open looks and the goals started piling up.

“We played a really good team game,” said four-goal scorer Anna Affolder post-game. “We had a lot of transition goals that were assisted.”

Anna and Izzy Rosa each had four goals. Olivia McDonald and Lilly Pons both scored twice while Reese Bromby, Rita Cahalane, and Maeve Sullivan each had one goal.

Almost every Newburyport goal was scored from in close.

The Clippers had an 11-1 lead at the half. Emmy Clark had the Masco goal.

Newburyport tallied two goals in the first four minutes of the second half. Izzy Rosa’s fourth goal was assisted by Lilly Pons. Rita Cahalane moved the NHS lead to, 13-1, assisted by Olivia McDonald.

Both teams scored twice the rest of the way as the running time limited the opportunities.

Emmy Clark had two goals in the game for Masco while Bella Juliano had a solo goal.

The Clippers defense was also very good today. Goalie Kate Keller set the tone. “She had an unbelievable game making nine saves,” said Coach Batchelder.

“Masco is a very good team,” said Anna. “They are always physical, and they always give us a run for our money.”

Anna, only a junior, has committed to Holy Cross.

I heard one of the Newburyport fans chanting, “D1, D1,” as Anna went from midfield to finish with a goal.

Masco lost to Chelmsford in the D1 North finals last year. Newburyport reached the D2 state semifinals and lost at Dover-Sherborn.

The weather was terrific with sunshine and temperatures in the 60’s.

Newburyport 11 4 = 15

Masco 1 2 = 3

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Emmy Clark (2 goals) chased by Josephine Palma

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April 11, 2022 · 9:42 pm

Mallory Johnson leads Triton past Lynnfield 13-1

Mallory Johnson had four hits including a home run

(Byfield) Have yourself a game, Mallory Johnson!

The Triton sophomore had everything going today and led the Vikings to a, 13-1, win over Lynnfield in Cape Ann League action.

Mallory gave the Pioneers (0-2) trouble whether she was pitching or hitting.

She pitched five innings (mercy rule) and gave up just one hit (Sophia Brown) and struck out seven batters.

“It was the best I’ve seen her pitch in the two years that I’ve been here,” said Vikings coach Alan Noyes afterwards.

“She’s now able to throw the ball by kids on the inside rather than nibbling away on the outside,” he added.

Mallory the hitter was equally impressive. She had a hit in each of her four at-bats including a solo homer in the third inning. She also scored three times.

Even Mallory, herself, had to admit (reluctantly) afterwards that she “thought she had a good game.” The stats were screaming that she had done just that!

“Triton is a strong team,” said Lynnfield coach Peter Marinelli post-game. “His infield is very good, and he has some real good hitters.”

Triton (2-1) scored in every inning and had contributions from every batter in their lineup.

Sophomore Kyla Story had a two-run homer during the bat-around fifth inning.

Reghan Haley had two hits and scored twice. Teammate Izzy Oldini drove in a pair of runs.

“We’re getting better every day,” said Coach Noyes.

It was a tough afternoon for Lynnfield.

“It was a very long day,” said Coach Marinelli. “We’re missing kids and we have people playing out of position. We’re inexperienced and some of the players are still learning what to do before the ball is hit to them.”

Several times this afternoon, Pioneers’ fielders would have the ball and hesitate, and Triton would take extra bases.

The Vikings were missing Haleigh Harris (concussion protocol) but Skylar Colburn filled in nicely behind the plate.

“Skylar was good back there,” said Mallory. “I threw mostly fastballs. I felt strong today, much better than usual.”

Sophia Brown pitched for Lynnfield and also had the Pioneers hit.

Sophia’s solid shot up the middle led off the Lynnfield fifth inning. Catie Kampersal ran for Sophia and scored the Pioneers run.

Triton 2 1 3 2 5 = 13

Lynnfield 0 0 0 0 1 = 1

Nice weather for April 11^th. Temperatures were close to sixty with plenty of sun.

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Maddy Jacques scores the first Triton run

Catie Kampersal scores the Lynnfield run

Mallory Johnson – five innings, one hit, seven strikeouts

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Tagged as Coach Alan Noyes, Coach Peter Marinelli, Izzy Oldini, Kyla Story, Mallory Johnson, Reghan Haley, Sophia Brown

April 10, 2022 · 6:38 pm

Portland falls to New Hampshire 6-2

Hayden Juenger went three innings and struck out seven

(Portland ME) The Portland Sea Dogs have pitching.

But on this afternoon, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats had better pitching and won the game 6-2 at Hadlock Field.

Hayden Juenger and Paxton Schultz combined to shut out the Sea Dogs for seven innings and struck out twelve of them.

Kole Cottam drove in the Portland runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

This was Portland’s third game of the season and the first one for me.

There are always comings-and-goings at the minor league level. The guessing game over at what level players will be placed gets some answers in the early days of the season.

My search at minor league games is usually about prospects. I do my homework and intentionally attempt to photograph prospects on the rise. It started for me when 19-year-old Bryce Harper came to Hadlock with the Harrisburg Senators.

Today the prime target was Orelvis Martinez of New Hampshire. Orelvis is a 19-year-old shortstop who is highly regarded by the Toronto Blue Jays. Orelvis stranded five runners today but his future is bright especially being where he is at his young age.

Portland started Brandon Walter who is #9 in the Red Sox system. Brandon was voted the top minor league pitcher for Boston last year. He is already twenty-five so I would suspect that he won’t last too long in AA.

Brandon was very effective this afternoon. The lefty went five innings allowing just one hit and struck out seven.

Another impressive newcomer (so far) for Portland is David Hamilton. The Sea Dogs’ shortstop is very fast and a valid threat to steal every time he gets on base. David had two steals today. He came into the Red Sox system as part of the Hunter Renfro trade with Milwaukee.

Another ranked prospect (#27) that I saw was Portland’s third baseman Christian Koss.

Good crowd today at Hadlock enjoying the sun with temperatures in the mid-50s. April in Portland is not always that nice!

My day was made at Hadlock with the return of the Slugger/kid race. Missed that all last year. I’m a fan of Slugger’s and always pulling for him in the race. I have faith that he’ll get that first W and I’ll be there to picture it.

Today was not Slugger’s day. He seemed sluggish and I’m sure for good reason. The inning before they had him out there dancing, black-flipping, and doing a split. That is NOT how you get ready for a race around the bases. His legs were shot as a result. He appeared worn out.

I didn’t think his challenger was that fast. He was steady, though, and that was all it took to win this afternoon.

The Big Guy also has course-direction issues. Today he rounded second, heading for first, but instead of cutting the corner at second he went by way of Falmouth! No wonder he wasn’t in sight when the challenger crossed home.

But hope springs eternal. There will be other opportunities and with a few minor adjustments, things could have a happy ending.

I saw one of the New Hampshire players come onto the field carrying a glittering backpack. I was told that it is a tradition of sorts for the youngest player to carry such a thing. Now you know.

Plenty of kids at Hadlock today. It is a terrific place to bring them. The price is right and there’s plenty going on to catch their attention.

Thanks to media director Chris Cameron for arranging my visit.

(The pictures will enlarge.)

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Tagged as Christian Koss, David Hamilton, Hayden Juenger, Kole Cottam, Orelvis Martinez, Paxton Schultz

April 8, 2022 · 10:30 pm

Newburyport rallies past Pentucket 8-6

(Newburyport) “The start was rough,” said Newburyport Clipper defender Jack Hadden afterwards, “but I kept reminding the guys that it wasn’t over yet.”

“It was only 3-0 so there was obviously a comeback waiting,” he added.

Newburyport rolled after the first quarter

And there was as Newburyport (2-1) regrouped and went on to defeat Pentucket, 8-6, on Friday night.

“Pentucket is tough, and they won’t give you anything,” said Clippers coach Josh Wedge post-game. “I don’t think we were fully ready to earn anything at the start of the game.”

In the first eight minutes, Pentucket (1-1) had unanswered goals from Joe Turpin, Ben Turpin, and Evan Napolitano.

“We came in confident because we won our opener on Saturday,” explained Pentucket coach Dan Leary.

Coach Leary wasn’t fooled, however, by the early three-goal lead. “Newburyport is a very talented team,” he said. “Being down three is nothing to them.”

In the second quarter, the Clippers showed the quality that enabled them to reach the D3 state semifinals last season.

“I was happy with how we played defense after that first quarter,” said Coach Wedge.

The Newburyport defense was tighter and shots on goal became tougher and tougher for Pentucket to create.

Cam Tinkham, Jack Hadden, and Jon Growth produced scores and had the game tied 3-3 at the half.

Ben Turpin notched his second goal just 1 ½ minutes into the second half and Newburyport needed to regroup again….which they did.

The next five goals belonged to the Clippers.

“We started slowly (again) but gradually found our rhythm,” said Coach Wedge. “It wasn’t perfect by any means.”

Ryan McHugh (3) and Owen Kruez (2) were the five-goal finishers for Newburyport.

“As the game went on, we got a little tired and made some mental mistakes in transition that hurt us,” added Coach Leary. “A talented team like Newburyport will make you pay when you do that.”

“We just couldn’t stop the bleeding,” added Coach Leary referencing the Clippers run to an 8-4 lead.

Henry Hartford and Nolan Cole scored for Pentucket in the last thirty seconds of the game when things were a bit disorganized.

“In that second-to-last goal there were eleven players on the field,” said Coach Wedge.

“We have a lot of inexperienced guys,” said Coach Wedge. “We are dressing twenty-nine players and sixteen are either freshmen or sophomores. But we’re a scrappy team and we play good defense most of the time. Our team is really good at picking the ball off the ground and we fight pretty hard for it. What we don’t do enough of is valuing the ball. Too many bad passes and dropped passes.”

“We never quit today,” said Coach Leary. “That’s all I can ask for. Our team is always fired up to play Newburyport.”

There will be a rematch at Pentucket later in the season.

Coach Wedge: “Dan (Leary) does an unbelievable job. I think he’s the most underrated coach around here. They have low numbers but they’re ultra-competitive. They know how to play the game.”

I asked Jack Hadden about his choice of the University of Albany to play lacrosse. “The minute I stepped onto the campus I know it was the place for me. The team and the coaches were so welcoming. At 12:01AM on September 1^st, the first day they could recruit me, they reached out to me. That meant a lot. It was an obvious choice for me.”

The weather at Stehlin was pleasant with sunshine and temperatures near sixty. I nearly froze at Pettingell the day before.

Newburyport 0 3 4 1 = 8

Pentucket 3 0 1 2 = 6

(The pictures will enlarge.)

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Tagged as Ben Turpin, Coach Dan Leary, Coach Josh Wedge, Owen Kruez, Ryan McHugh

April 7, 2022 · 11:55 pm

Newburyport gets 5-4 walkoff win over Bishop Fenwick

Owen Tahnk (3 hits) scores the game winner

(Newburyport) Twice Newburyport trailed but twice they rallied.

A walkoff single by Jack Fehlner was key in the final rally as the Clippers defeated Bishop Fenwick, 5-4, on Thursday afternoon.

“Credit Newburyport,” said Crusaders coach Matt Antonelli afterwards. “They were down two times, and they came back both times.”

Jack Fehner went the distance for the Clippers allowing five hits. His wild pitch, however, in the Fenwick seventh gave the visitors a 4-3 lead.

But Jack the pitcher is also Jack the hitter and in the bottom of the seventh he delivered a walkoff single to center that set off some serious celebrating by the Clippers.

“I wasn’t surprised at all by what Jack did,” said Newburyport coach Mark Rowe post-game. “He’s that good.”

The Clippers had only four hits off the pitching of Mike Geissler and Marco Carrillo going into bottom of the seventh.

But after one out, the Clippers put four straight hits together to tie and then win the game.

Eli Suchecki had a pinch-hit double in the seventh inning

Pinch-hitter Eli Suchecki started the rally with a double and Owen Tahnk (3 hits) drove Eli in with another double to tie the score.

Max Puleo then singled sending Owen to third.

That collection of hits gave Jack his chance. Jack tried a squeeze bunt that nearly worked before singling to center to score Owen with the game winner.

“We came together in the bottom of the seventh,” said Jack. “It was a team effort. Eli, Owen, and Max got on to give me a chance. My hit was off a curve.”

The Clippers had the bases loaded in the second and third innings. Only one run resulted, and it was driven in by Charlie Forrest on a fielder’s choice in the second inning.

The Crusaders took the lead in the fifth inning. Two hits (Costa Beechin and Nick Villano), two stolen bases, an infield error, and a passed ball produced three runs. Chris Faraca and Nick Villano had the RBIs.

But the Clippers bounced back in their half of the fifth. Two hits (Luke Stallard and Jack Fehlner), two wild pitches, and an infield error led to two runs and a 3-3 tie. Max Puleo and Jack Fehlner had the RBIs.

Things unraveled for Newburyport in the seventh. A leadoff walk (Gianni Mercurio) was followed by two passed balls and a wild pitch and the Crusaders had the lead and were only three outs away from their first win.

Connor Stick walked leading off the bottom of the seventh for Newburyport but was picked off by reliever Marco Carrillo. However, the next four Clippers had hits and Newburyport had its first win.

“We won the game despite some things not going the way we wanted them to,” said Coach Rowe. “The kids were resilient. It was nice to get our first win against a very, very good team.”

“We’ve got to throw more strikes and make plays in the field,” said Coach Antonelli. The BF pitchers gave up seven walks.

Owen Tahnk drove in the tying run in the seventh inning for Newburyport. He finished the afternoon with three hits and scored the winning run.

Jack Fehlner had two hits and two RBI to go with his complete-game five hitter.

“My slider worked pretty well,” said Jack afterwards. “They have a lot of great hitters on that team. They pieced some balls off me for sure.”

Nick Villano led Fenwick with two hits and an RBI.

“We’re now 0-3,” said Coach Antonelli, “and the way to get out of it is to work hard in practice. We’ll work on defense and throwing strikes. It’s still early in the season.”

Nice catch by centerfielder Owen Roberts in the third inning.

The weather was miserable….40’s and windy. It was such a good game, however, that dwelling on the discomfort was minimized.

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Connor Stick scores the 2nd Newburyport run

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Tagged as Coach Matt Antonelli, Jack Fehlner, Nick Villano, Owen Tahnk

April 6, 2022 · 9:06 pm

Amesbury shuts out Georgetown 17-0

Alana Delisle struck out thirteen batters

(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.”

Izzy Levasseur (in the middle) had three hits and five RBI

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.)

Shortstop Allison Mansfield throws to first

Allison Mansfield led the game off with a single

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Tagged as Alana Delisle, Allison Mansfield, Coach Jay Santomassino, Ella Bezanson, Izzy Levasseur

April 5, 2022 · 10:49 pm

North Reading holds off Newburyport 11-8

Centerfielder Caitlin Reilly ended a Newburyport rally with an outfield assist

Newburyport shortstop Emma Keefe handles a grounder

(Newburyport) Everyone contributed.

Whether it was scoring a run, getting a hit, or having an RBI, everyone who played had at least one of those positives.

But the biggest positive, the W, belonged to North Reading, 11-8, against Newburyport on Tuesday afternoon at Pioneer Park.

The turning-point play in this game was in the Newburyport fifth inning. The Clippers (0-2) trailed 4-0 but a walk (Lea Quintilliani), single (Nieve Morrissey), and a two-run double by Emily Meleedy cut the deficit in half. When Emma Keefe singled to center, Emily tried to score from second. However, Caitlin Reilly’s throw from center nailed Emily at the plate and limited the promising inning to just two runs.

“It was absolutely a big play,” said NR coach Nicole Zimmerman afterwards. “Getting that out at home took the wind out of their sails a little bit. We had our big inning right after that.”

“The girl (Caitlin Reilly) in centerfield made a nice throw,” recalled Newburyport coach Bob Gillespie. “There was an issue with their catcher (Kristen Galvin) blocking home plate. The umpire said it was close, but he didn’t call it.”

The sixth inning was a run-fest for both teams. The Hornets (1-0) sent eleven batters to the plate and collected seven runs. Alyssa Cassarino and Jocelyn Ostrowsky each had two RBIs during this productive inning.

Credit Newburyport. Now behind, 11-2, and having only four hits to this point, the Clippers had their own big inning.

They sent ten batters up and had five hits that turned into six runs. Cassidy Bolcome had two RBIs, while teammates Nieve Morrissey, Emily Meleedy, Keira Dowell, and Isla Devivo had one RBI each during this scoring spree.

“I’m proud of the way we came back,” said Coach Gillespie. “We’ve just got to figure out how to start faster.”

Sophomore Keely Hannon went the distance for the Hornets to get the win. “Keely did an excellent job for us,” said Coach Zimmerman.

Both teams had defensive gems in the last inning. Newburyport shortstop Emma Keefe made a diving catch on an infield popup while rightfielder Bella Duffy made a nice running catch toward the foul line.

Just before Bella’s catch, Coach Zimmerman had yelled for her to come in closer, which Bella did. Those extra steps in were a factor in Bella getting to the ball she caught.

Bella Duffy makes a diving catch in the 7th inning

“I had just called her in,” said Coach Zimmerman. “I guess I do know what I’m talking about,” she laughed.

Sophomore Jocelyn Ostrowsky led the Hornets statistically with two RBI, two hits, and three runs scored.

Caitlin Reilly (3 hits/2 runs/1 RBI) and Alyssa Cassarino (2 RBI/2 hits/1 run) also had big afternoons for North Reading.

Sophomore Emily Meleedy had three hits and three RBI from Newburyport. Teammate Nieve Morrissey had an RBI, two hits, and two runs scored.

Coach Zimmerman: “It was definitely an interesting game. It felt good to win our opener.”

Coach Gillespie: “We started slow and flat. We didn’t hit the ball well and made some key errors. We opened the door, and they came in. The second half of the game was a lot different. We made some plays and put the bat on the ball. We’ll be back.”

North Reading was 13-2 last year while the Clippers were 8-6.

Newburyport has now lost thirteen straight games to North Reading dating back to 2014.

There was sun this afternoon but the late start (4:30PM) brought on the evening chill before this high-scoring affair ended. It is early April after all!

(The pictures will enlarge.)

Grace Habib tags out Keely Hannon at home plate

Shortstop Alyssa Cassarino tags second base

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April 4, 2022 · 10:19 pm

Amesbury tops Peabody 3-1 in season opener

Liv DeLong – twelve strikeouts, three hits allowed

Abby Bettencourt – nine strikeouts, three hits allowed

(Amesbury) Two great teams.

1B Izzy Levasseur (13) catches the final out

Two terrific pitchers.

Certain to be a good game…and it was.

Amesbury bested Peabody, 3-1, at Perry Park this afternoon in season-opening, non-league action.

Amesbury was 16-2 last year with losses to Peabody and later to Turners Falls in the Division 3 state title game in July.

Peabody was 17-1 last year and didn’t get their lone loss until the Division 1 North title game.

And both teams had plenty of players back from those teams, including standout pitchers Liv DeLong and Abby Bettencourt.

Ella Delisle scored the first Amesbury run

This afternoon Liv finished with twelve strikeouts while Abby had nine.

Liv had seven K’s in the first three innings while Abby had seven K’s in the last three innings.

Each team had three hits. Amesbury had three runners left on base while Peabody had only two.

This was not a day to fatten up your batting average. Just make contact and hope for a break or two.

“The difference in this game was that we had two physical errors,” explained Tanners’ coach Tawny Palmieri afterwards. “Three unearned runs cost us the game. Amesbury’s defense was better than ours was.”

In a game in which runs figured to be scarce, Amesbury picked up two in the first inning.

Ella Delisle led off the game getting hit by a pitch. Ella Bezanson followed with a single that got past the rightfielder allowing Ella Delisle to score and Ella Bezanson to reach third. A Liv DeLong full-swing dribbler to the mound allowed the second run to come across.

“It was huge to get two in the first inning,” said AHS coach Jacqui Waters afterwards. “Ella (Bezanson) was our best hitter last year.”

Peabody squandered a great chance in the fourth inning. Singles by Logan Lomasney and Emma Bloom combined with a passed ball had Tanners on second and third with one out. But Liv DeLong struck out the next two batter to leave two runners stranded.

In the Amesbury fourth inning, consecutive singles by Liv DeLong and Olivia Levasseur put runners on the corners for the Indians. Alana Delisle’s fly ball to short right was dropped but there was a force-out at second base. However, Liv DeLong reached home on that play with Amesbury’s third run.

Peabody picked up their run in the sixth inning. Sophomore Abby Bettencourt singled, took second on a wild pitch and third on a fielder’s choice. A second wild pitch allowed Abby to reach home without a throw.

Liv DeLong retired Peabody in order in the final inning to preserve the victory for Amesbury.

Abby Bettencourt scores the Peabody run in the sixth inning

“These teams are even as far as I’m concerned,” said Coach Waters. “We just happened to come out on top today.”

“Liv is a very good pitcher,” said Coach Palmieri afterwards. “It was the first time we’ve seen her. We saw the other pitcher when we faced them last year.”

There will be a second game between the two teams at the end of the season.

“I need the non-league games with these powerhouses,” said Coach Waters. “I need to know where we are. We also play Concord-Carlisle in the middle of the season.”

Coach Tawny Palmieri with runner Logan Lomasney

The power ranking system will be in play as it was for basketball. The caliber of the teams you face has plenty to do with where you end up in the rankings. Previously rankings were sectional and based on wins and losses.

Liv DeLong was familiar with Abby Bettencourt. “I played travel ball with her,” she said.

“Peabody was a good team,” said Liv. “I prepared myself to move the ball around. I knew that I couldn’t just throw the ball down the middle.”

“Liv is just so good,” said her catcher, Ella Delisle. “Her curve and her rise were very effective. I like being able to call the pitches.”

Ella Bezanson scores Amesbury’s second run in the first inning

“Our league doesn’t start until Wednesday,” said Coach Palmieri. “We’ll learn from this and hope to get rolling in the league.”

Abby Bettencourt was the Player-of-the-Year in the Northeastern Conference last year as a freshman.

“Abby is a great pitcher,” said Coach Waters. “I thought that this might be one of those quick games that went 0-0 into the late innings. Fortunately, we got some runs early.”

Both teams wore uniforms that only had numbers on the back. Not what you would hope for as a photographer!

Amesbury did not lose the game but somehow their uniforms from last year are lost. As a result, they were wearing uniforms from three years ago.

The sun was shining, and it was breezy for the opener for both teams.

It is not too hard to imagine that both teams will be in good position in the power rankings at the end of the regular season.

Can these teams make a tourney run and turn this into an extra special season as the Amesbury girls basketball team just did? Both teams came close last year.

(The pictures will enlarge.)

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Tagged as Abby Bettencourt, Coach Jacqui Waters, Coach Tawny Palmieri, Ella Bezanson, Ella Delisle, Liv DeLong

April 2, 2022 · 9:36 pm

Gloucester edges Newburyport 4-3 in opener

Zach Morris throw from left nails Jack Fehlner at the plate

Owen Tahnk scores the Clippers third run

(Newburyport) Newburyport gave extra outs to Gloucester in the fifth inning and it cost them.

The Fishermen came away with a 4-3 win in the Saturday afternoon non-league game that was the opener for both teams.

“It was the first game of the season, and you could tell it at times for both teams,” said Gloucester coach Rory Gentile afterwards.

“It was a game that I feel we should have won but we made mistakes and you can’t do that against an excellent team like Gloucester,” said Clippers coach Mark Rowe.

The game featured three pitchers (Jack Fehlner, Zach Morris, and Brett Moore) who are all committed to pitch at the next level.

The Boston Herald had cited both teams as “teams to watch in Division 3.”

“Newburyport looked like a very good team,” said Coach Gentile. “That’s a team we may be seeing later on.”

Newburyport took a 2-0 lead into the fifth inning.

Junior Max Puleo was hit by a pitch, stole second, and hustled home on a two-out blooper that fell into short right field in the first inning.

In the fourth inning, senior Jack Fehlner lit into a Zach Morris high fastball and sent it over the left field fence.

“When we were down 2-0 it felt like 100-to-nothing,” recalled Coach Gentile. “We weren’t doing much of anything right.”

Things turned Gloucester’s way in the fifth and sixth innings.

In the fifth, Zach Morris tripled in teammate Brett Moore with the first Fishermen score.

“My first two times up were not what I wanted,” said Zach afterwards. “I was trying to do too much. The third at-bat I saw the curve and waited on it.”

Brett Moore had two hits and closed out the game for Gloucester

The Clippers had two chances to escape with just one Gloucester run in that inning, but a line-drive drop, and a messed-up pickoff led to more at bats and two more runs.

“We played well defensively at times,” said Coach Rowe, “but we did make defensive mistakes that cost us maybe the game.”

The Fishermen added the eventual game-winner in their half of the sixth inning. Thomas Elliott singled, stole second and scored on Brett Moore’s double to right.

That 4-2 Gloucester lead was severely threatened in the Newburyport sixth.

The Clippers put three straight singles together off Zach Morris with Brady Ford’s single driving across Owen Tahnk. Another walk (Jack Sullivan) loaded the bases with no outs.

It certainly appeared, at the time, that Newburyport was likely to collect some more runs…..but they didn’t.

Coach Gentile brought in Brett Moore from left to replace Zach and Zach went out to play left. I am not sure if a coach could ask for a player switch to work out any better than this one did.

Owen Roberts flied out to left and Zach gunned down Jack Fehlner trying to score from third base.

“I got behind that ball and said, ‘we need this’ and let it go,” recalled Zach. The throw was perfect and a very fast runner (Jack Fehlner) was clearly out at home plate.

Brett Moore struck out the next batter to limit Newburyport to a lone run.

“We’re up one, no outs, with the bases loaded and we get out of it,” said Coach Gentile. “We need to not rely on getting lucky but get ahead of batters.”

Sophomore Connor Stick reached third with two outs in the last inning, but Brett struck out the final batter.

“Brett Moore (commit to Curry) is one of our senior leaders,” said Coach Gentile. “He had a great year last year. That’s what we expect him to do.”

The Fishermen collected nine hits off Jack Fehlner and Charlie Forrest. Brett Moore, Emerson Marshall, and Thomas Elliott had two hits each.

The Clippers finished with six hits. Owen Tahnk and Jack Fehlner each had two of them.

Jack pitched four plus innings. “I had a pitch limit in mind for him,” said Coach Rowe. “He could have finished that inning but it’s early in the season and I don’t want to hurt his arm.”

Zach Morris is committed to URI next season. “I loved the coaching staff there,” he said. “The energy I saw there was awesome.”

I asked Zach for the reason why his teammates and coaches were calling him, “Tuna.” “I was almost born with that nickname,” he said. “My godmother had a lake behind her house that I would swim in but never get out of. She called me, “Tuna,” and it got around.”

Plenty of sunshine on this Saturday afternoon at Pettingell Park. The wind, however, kept everyone from getting too comfortable.

(The pictures will enlarge.)