Max Gagnon (22 points) scores in front of the Newburyport student section
Cam Keliher (25 points)
(Newburyport MA) Newburyport has become a team that is hard to defend.
Who knows who will have the hot hand on any given night?
Tonight, it was Max Gagnon. The speedy Newburyport senior had twenty-two points including eighteen in the first half.
Max held the Clippers (10-4) together tonight in the first half against the red-hot Amesbury Indians.
When Amesbury cooled off in the second half, the Clippers were able to catch up and pull away to a, 74-62, win on Tuesday night.
Both teams had plenty of active support in the stands and there was a tournament feel to the game from beginning to end.
Finn Brennan (16 points)
“I loved the energy in the game,” said freshman Finn Brennan afterwards. Finn had sixteen points and fifteen rebounds for the Clippers.
Both teams played at a fast pace.
Amesbury (8-5) turned NHS misses into long-pass layups in the first quarter. The Indians had their biggest lead of the game (20-7) in the last minute after a Matt Welch (16 points) layup assisted by Cam Keliher.
Matt Welch (16 points)
The Clippers refused to go away, however, thanks to Max Gagnon. Max made three’s, got to the basket, and made free throws.
“They were falling, so I kept on shooting,” recalled Max.
Newburyport trailed by just two points (37-35) at the half as James Scali (11 points) hit a three very late in the second quarter.
You wondered how long the Indians would be able to hang onto the lead in the second half.
It was actually five minutes of playing time. Consecutive baskets by Nick Marden gave Amesbury its last lead, 46-45.
Ronan Brown (10 points)
A three (Ronan Brown), a rebound basket (Finn Brennan), and another three (Will Thoreson) followed and suddenly the home team had a six-point lead, 53-47. The Clippers would hold the lead the rest of the way.
“We started the game strong,” said Cam Keliher (25 points) post-game, “but in the third quarter it got away from us when they started making three’s.”
“We got out of sorts in the 4th quarter and started forcing shots,” recalled AHS coach Tom Comeau, “and then the shots didn’t go in.”
Nick Marden and Adam Bovee
Once Newburyport had the lead, they changed their style of play. “We executed our plays more in the second half and got some easy baskets,” said Max.
Amesbury took chances defensively trying to get the ball back and Newburyport reacted by passing and cutting to create high-percentage shots that helped them pull away in the final quarter.
“We don’t have time to hang our heads over this one,” said Coach Comeau. “We have several games before we play in the Boston Garden on Saturday night.”
Max Gagnon
James Scali: “It was the best offensive performance I’ve ever seen him (Max Gagnon) have. He did a lot of work in the off-season.”
I asked Max Gagnon afterwards if maybe his pre-game lunch had something to do with his career-game. “I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch,” he said with a smile.
Newburyport 12 23 20 19 = 74
Amesbury 20 17 14 11 = 62
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Cam Keliher from the corner
Matt Welch rebounds
Finn Sullivan
Matt Welch drives
Cam Keliher saw plenty of different Newburyport defenders
(Amesbury MA) It was not a matter of if, but when.
Avery Hallinan was within fifteen points of 1000 going into tonight’s non-league game with Beverly.
“I was quite certain that I would get the fifteen points either today or on Friday (against Georgetown),” said Avery afterwards.
But tonight would be the ideal time because her family (including her grandmother) was in attendance and her brother Jake was there with the Amesbury boys basketball team.
Angelina Mazzone (13 points)
During the game the Beverly Panthers had trouble keeping Avery away from the basket. Her willingness to attack the inside of an opponent’s defense has been her trademark.
Avery ended up with twenty-eight points in a memorable evening for her and the team. That her team would win, 64-43, just added to the sweetness of the night.
The 1000th point was part of an inbounds play in the second quarter. Avery used a screen from teammate Liv DeLong to get open in the lane. She then received an inbounds pass from her sister (McKenna). One dribble to the right and Avery was in for a layup earning a place on the 1000-point banner that hangs on the gymnasium wall.
Gabby Redford (15 points)
“Tonight was a great night for Avery and the team,” said Amesbury coach Gregg Dollas afterwards.
“We had a lot of motivation tonight,” said Avery. “We were coming off a loss (to Hamilton-Wenham) and we were ready to play.”
Beverly (3-10) fell behind early, 13-5, but while everyone appeared to be concentrating on when Avery would get her 1000th point, the Panthers slipped back into contention in the second quarter.
Battle for a rebound
A jump shot by Nikki Erricola put the visitors from the Northeast Conference down only, 24-20, in the second quarter with 3 ½ minutes left.
However, the next six minutes of playing time were dominated by Amesbury. The Indians put an 18-2 segment together and 2 ½ minutes into the second half, had a comfortable, 42-22, lead.
Avery would get two more baskets before the 3rd quarter ended and then watched the final quarter from the bench.
Sami Kimball guarded by Lauren Caley
Lauren Caley (12) and Angelina Mazzone (13) were Beverly’s leading scorers.
I was impressed with the organized offense that Beverly ran. However, the Panthers didn’t shoot very well, and the persistent Amesbury man-to-man defense had something to do with that.
The Indians (10-3) shot very well. “Tonight was one of the better nights we’ve had in sharing the ball,” said Coach Dollas.
Senior Gabby Redford netted fifteen points as her shots were falling regularly. She struck from long range and scored going to the basket.
Gabby Redford
“It felt good to be scoring points,” Gabby told me afterwards. “I always release early, and I got some nice passes down the court from teammates.”
“Gabby had a great game,” said Coach Dollas. “If she hadn’t been injured in her freshman and sophomore seasons, she’d probably be at the 800/900-point level now.”
“I will be going to Framingham State next year,” said Gabby. “It was the first school I talked to. I will get to play two seasons with Flannery O’Connor (former Amesbury star) which will be fun.”
Henry O’Neill gets to the basket against Lynnfield
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Jake Hallinan in for two
(Amesbury MA) “We did what we do best….run in transition,” said Amesbury senior Matt Welch afterwards.
And did they ever.
The Indians (5-2) took a 3-2 deficit and turned it into an 18-3 lead in four minutes of fast action.
The Pioneers (1-8) went cold, and Amesbury rebounded, found the outlet man, and moved quickly into open layups and looks.
Cam Keliher (21 points)
The final was 74-57.
The Indians’ starters didn’t play in the second and fourth quarters.
“We wanted a fast-paced game,” said Amesbury coach Tom Comeau. “Max (LaPointe) and Nick (Marden) were huge inside early. When you can rebound like that, it allows you to run.”
Senior Cam Keliher (21 points) keyed the fast start with twelve points and several assists to breaking teammates.
The Indians’ attack was so fast that they were seldom fouled going to the basket.
Mekhi Peters gets a rebound
“Amesbury is a heckuva team,” said LHS coach John Bakopolus post-game. “They are incredibly difficult to guard. They got out on us real early in the first half.”
None of the Amesbury starters played in the second quarter and the Pioneers used consecutive three’s by freshman Gavin Deluties (14 points) to lessen their deficit to 38-25 at halftime.
The AHS starters returned in the third quarter and the pace picked up and the shots started falling.
Matt Welch (12 points)
Cam had a 9-point quarter and teammate Matt added eight points in a 23-point AHS period. The Indians’ lead ballooned to 61-37 after three periods.
The final quarter belonged to the reserves from both squads.
“The kids on our bench came in and were ready to play,” said Coach Comeau. Ten players on the Amesbury team scored points.
Gavin Deluties (14 points)
Freshman Zach Pincus (12 points) connected three times from long range for Lynnfield in the final quarter.
Coach Bakopolus: “We’re not at the level to compete with them yet. Every mistake we made they capitalized on. There’s a reason why they’re one of the top teams in the area.”
Matt Welch: “We had good defense and rebounding. We have good chemistry with each other.”
Coach Comeau: “I’ve been on both sides of games like this. Lynnfield worked real hard. They have a group of good kids. I think they were missing five kids with Covid.”
Lain McCarthy in the lane
Coach Bakopolus: “Our kids didn’t stop fighting. We’re dealing with some stuff, but I think every team is. You have to power through it.”
Lynnfield was 4-6 last season and defeated Amesbury, 75-67.
Lynnfield’s win this year was over Rockport on January 4th.
Amesbury 25 13 23 13 = 74
Lynnfield 8 17 12 20 = 57
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Amesbury box
Lynnfield box
Rocco Kokinacis down the lane
Zach Pincus (20) blocks a pass
Amesbury student section gets involved
Matt Heidt drives
Trevor Kimball
Gavin Deluties goes behind his back to get to the basket
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Cam Keliher (20 points) chased by several Vikings
Nick Marden
(Byfield MA) Amesbury got double/doubles from Cam Keliher and Nick Marden tonight.
That was more than enough to defeat Triton, 70-51, in Cape Ann League action.
This game was close for a half, with the Indians only slightly ahead (29-28) at the intermission.
The Indians (3-2) dominated the second half.
“The kids battled the entire game,” said Amesbury coach Tom Comeau afterwards.
Griff Dupuis had four 3’s for Triton
“We wanted to spread them out and battle inside,” Coach Comeau added. “They’re a big physical team.”
Nick Marden (11 points/13 rebounds) was impressive for Amesbury. “He’s a beast inside,” said Coach Comeau.
Endicott commit Cam Keliher (20 points/10 rebounds) handled the ball well and registered eight points in the final quarter as the Indians built their lead.
In the third quarter it was Matt Welch (18 points) getting nine of those points as Amesbury put a lead together.
“Matt continues to go to the basket and cause havoc inside,” said Coach Comeau.
Matt Welch
“I thought we started out good in the first half but the game got away from us in the second half,” explained Triton’s Dylan Wilkinson post-game. “We did our best. Cam (Keliher) is a tough one to guard.”
Cam said afterwards that the team came into the game confident. “We had beaten Georgetown before the break. We knew it would be tough here. We hadn’t beaten them here in something like ten years.”
Ethan Tate tries for a block
The keys to the win according to Cam were “we pushed the ball and played good defense.”
The Amesbury rebounding impressed Triton coach Ted Schruender. “Amesbury killed us in rebounding,” he said. “We also lost our composure in the second half.”
“Our pressure helped wear them down in the second half,” said Coach Comeau.
I was impressed with the way Amesbury shared the ball. “These kids have played together for a long time,” said Coach Comeau. “They trust each other.”
Cam Keliher chased by Vikings
Coach Schruender: “Cam is a great player. He’s also a classy, classy kid.”
Griff Dupuis and Quintin McHale led Triton with fourteen points each. Griff connected four times from long range.
Dylan Wilkinson made three 3’s and reached eleven points for the (2-3) Vikings.
Dylan told me that he plans to go to college and hopes to walk-on for a chance to play basketball.
(Wilmington MA) “You can live by the three and you can die by the three.”
You usually hear that line when a team starts hot from long range but doesn’t know when to stop shooting from out there.
Fast forward to this afternoon’s girls’ basketball game between Amesbury and Reading.
There was no second part to the Rockets’ long-range game today.
Cali Catarius chases Ella Abreu
They not only lived by the three, but they thrived on it!
Reading connected from downtown thirteen times and overwhelmed Amesbury, 59-33.
This was a first-rounder in the Wilmington Holiday Tournament. Both teams play again tomorrow.
Senior Jackie Malley (29 points) was amazing for Reading from the get-go.
McKenna Hallinan to the rim
Jackie had a sixteen-point first quarter that separated the Rockets from the Indians in a hurry.
“They couldn’t miss,” said Amesbury coach Gregg Dollas afterwards. “I didn’t think that our defense was that bad.”
But on this afternoon, Reading (3-2) clicked consistently from beyond the arc.
Jackie Malley had seven of those three’s and her sister Jess had two others.
Jackie Malley looks to pass
“We have a lot of good shooters,” said Jackie afterwards, “and we found them really well today. I just took shots as they came and felt confident.”
Jackie is committed to D3 basketball next year at St. Lawrence University in New York. The Saints are located, as the name suggests, along the St. Lawrence River in northern New York.
“Jackie (Malley) had a great game today,” said Reading coach Kara Melillo post-game. “She’s led us all year. She definitely set the tone for us offensively and defensively.”
Ciara Keane scores
The Rockets started the first two minutes of the second quarter with a three from freshman Molly Trahan (16 points) followed by a three and a layup from Jackie Malley. That burst of offense gave Reading a 29-9 advantage.
This one had long-afternoon written all over it for Amesbury.
The Indians (3-1) had limited their opponents to the 30’s but by halftime today the Rockets had a 32-19 lead.
An Amesbury optimist would have expected in the second half that the team from the Middlesex League would cool off while the team from the Cape Ann League would put some points together and make it a closer game.
Avery Hallinan to the rim
Not today.
In the third quarter, the Rockets made three more three’s, while holding Amesbury to only three points.
“We didn’t play together enough on offense,” said Coach Dollas. “We need to fix that.”
The Indians settled too often for drives through traffic and the first open look that showed up.
Avery Hallinan (18 points) was the most successful of the Indians in getting to the basket. She drew contact and ended up taking fourteen free throws.
Jackie Malley in close
The Rockets put a 19-1 run together in the second half to expand their lead to, 54-22, 2 ½ minutes into the final quarter.
“When you’re hitting 3’s, two or three feet outside the line with consistency it’s pretty hard to defend,” said Coach Dollas.
“Every game I’ve watched them play they didn’t hit like this,” he added. “It was something I’ve never seen.”
“We worked really hard in practice this week,” said Jackie Malley. “We tried hard to move the ball around and everyone contributed. We trusted each other.”
Gabby Redford
It was one of those games in which even when the Rockets missed a long shot, they were often able to find the rebound.
Coach Melillo: “We had one of our better practices yesterday. The kids played with a lot of energy today. The shots were falling today and that certainly helped us.”
Coach Dollas: “I doubt that we’ll see anyone as hot as this team in the Cape Ann League.”
I was impressed with the Wilmington facility. It had plenty of seating as well as open space around the outside of the court. The lighting was also very good.
Reading 21 11 15 12 = 59
Amesbury 9 10 3 11 = 33
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Action under the Amesbury basket
Brennan Twombly (18 points) surrounded by Amesbury defenders
(Amesbury MA) “It was hard to defend them early,” said Manchester-Essex junior Brennan Twombly afterwards.
Amesbury jumped out to a 9-0 lead, and it looked like a long night for the Hornets.
But the Indians cooled off and ME took the lead for good three minutes into the fourth quarter.
The final was Manchester-Essex 53, Amesbury 51.
This was a one-possession game for the last three minutes, but Amesbury couldn’t put a stop together with points.
Matt Welch (22 points)
“It was our first game,” said Amesbury coach Tom Comeau post-game. “We’ll get better.
Matt Welch (22 points) led all scorers.
The Indians raced out with scores from four different starters (Cam Keliher, Rocco Kokinacis, Max LaPointe, Matt Welch) and had their student section roaring with each possession.
“Amesbury stuck it to us a little bit in the beginning,” said ME coach Tim St. Laurent afterwards.
“We had a lot of success against Newburyport in the zone,” added Coach St. Laurent, “but tonight we made a good adjustment to man-to-man and rebounded.”
Patrick Cronin guarded by Jake Hallinan
The Indians kept on putting up points, however, and led, 26-13, 3+ minutes into the second quarter.
Key moment was Matt Welch getting his third foul at that point and sitting out the remainder of the second quarter.
While Matt sat, the Hornets reeled off nine straight points. The contributors were; Patrick Cronin, Brennan Twombly, Cade Furse, and Sam Athanas.
The Amesbury lead was reduced to 28-24 at halftime.
Rocco Kokinacis surrounded by Hornets defenders
Both teams had plenty to get excited about in the third quarter. There were five lead changes. Matt Welch and Cam Keliher (17 points) carried the Indians.
“They (Amesbury) have two guys who can really score,” said Coach St. Laurent.
The Hornets were led by Brennan Twombly (18 points) and Cade Furse (15 points).
Cam Keliher (17 points) had three 3’s
Amesbury took a, 38-35, lead into the final two minutes of the third quarter.
Manchester-Essex took over from there running nine unanswered points. A Sam Athanas triple ended the streak of consecutive offense with the Hornets now ahead, 44-38, three minutes into the final quarter.
Amesbury was unable to recover.
“I think we got a little tired in the second half,” said AHS coach Tom Comeau. “We didn’t rebound as well.”
Brennan Twombly guards Matt Welch
“It was great team defense that won this game for us,” said ME coach Tim St. Laurent. “We defended the ball.”
“We came out with more energy after those first couple of minutes,” recalled Brennan Twombly.
Patrick Cronin (10 points) was the third Hornet in double figures.
Endicott commit Cam Keliher made a three to start the game and closed a game with a fall-away three that put him into the Amesbury student section.
Cam had Sam Athanas on him most of the game and found very little open space.
Ball in the lane
“Cam knows that the teams we face will try to find ways to stop him,” said Coach Comeau.
Returning Hornets starter AJ Pallazola was not in uniform. He told me pre-game that he was injured playing football and that it would be several weeks before he would be playing basketball. He also told me that he hadn’t made a college choice yet.
That the Hornets could defeat both Newburyport and Amesbury without AJ in their lineup suggests that they should have a very good season.
Manchester-Essex 10 14 15 14 = 53
Amesbury 18 10 10 13 = 51
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Brennan Twombly (18 points) at the line late in the game
Vaughn O’Leary
Matt Heidt
Battle under the basket
Matt Welch (22 points) gets off a shot near the basket
(Merrimac MA) The Pentucket seniors were honored before the game and the team was honored afterwards.
The Sachems (15-1) defeated Amesbury, 2-0, on Friday afternoon.
“We’re CAL field hockey champs for the first time in school history,” said Pentucket coach Ruth Beaton afterwards. Her team has won twelve straight games.
Junior Haley Dwight had a goal and an assist for Pentucket.
“Pentucket is an awesome team,” said Amesbury coach Kerri Doherty post-game. “They consistently come out fast and move the ball extremely well. They can play on both turf and grass.”
The Sachems put pressure on the Indians (2-8-4) most of the game.
“We had a ton of chances,” said senior Lana Mickelson. “I know because I missed a few.”
Lana had two goals against Amesbury in Pentucket’s 4-1 win at Amesbury.
Busy afternoon for Amesbury goalie Nuala Arsenault
The Sachems scored early in the second quarter (Reese Gallant) and early in the final quarter (Haley Dwight).
Pentucket had nine corners (by my unofficial count) and numerous opportunities.
Credit Amesbury goal-keeper Nuala Arsenault along with defenders Lizzy Deacon, Hannah Gale, and Ella DeLisle for finding ways to prevent more Pentucket goals.
“It was hard in there,” said GK Nuala Arsenault, “and I was really tired…..but it was fun.”
Pentucket goalie Charlene Basque didn’t see much action. However, after Haley Dwight’s goal four minutes into the final quarter, Amesbury did apply some pressure and rang a shot off the sidebar.
A goal there would have cut the Pentucket lead to 2-1 with six minutes left.
“All credit to Amesbury for the way they hung in there,” said senior Meg Freiermuth afterwards. “We stayed gritty.”
“Defensively, we held our own,” said Coach Doherty.
Haley Dwight passes across in front
Reese Gallant gets her stick on Haley’s pass
Ball on the way into the Amesbury goal
Reese Gallant reacts to her goal
Pentucket celebrates first goal
But Pentucket had so many in-close chances in the first quarter that you assumed that a goal would come that way. But that wasn’t the way the first goal was scored.
Haley Dwight intercepted a pass at midfield and headed for the left endline.
“When I see the open net, I always shoot for it,” said Haley, “but I’m also looking for my teammates.”
When Haley got close to the endline, she sent a pass across the front of the net between the goalie and a defender.
“Reese was right there,” said Haley.
“Haley put it right in front,” said Reese Gallant. “It was nice to be there on the end of Haley’s pass.”
“That first goal was picture perfect,” recalled Coach Beaton. “Reese was where she had to be when Haley made the crossing pass.”
Ball in the air in front of Izzy Deacon (11)
There was not much that Amesbury GK Nuala Arsenault could do about the goal. “Their first one was rough to get to because the player shooting was on the opposite side,” said Nuala.
The Sachems were finally able to pad their lead with a goal in the final quarter.
Pentucket had crowded in near the Amesbury goal many times, but this time Haley Dwight produced a goal out of the congestion.
“I did a spin move on the goalie and shot it,” recalled Haley. “It didn’t bounce off anyone. It went right in. The sound of a goal is something my teammates and I love to hear.”
Amesbury threatens
Coach Doherty: “Ruth (Beaton) is well respected in the league. There was no doubt in my mind that Pentucket was the Number One team this year.”
Coach Beaton: “Kerri’s kids play hard and don’t give up on the ball.”
Six seniors (Bailey Stock, Madi Kuchar, Sydney Matthews, Meg Freiermuth, Lana Mickelson, Gabrielle Cloutier, and Charlene Basque) were honored pre-game.
Meg Freiermuth was pleased to have her brother Pat (Pittsburgh Steelers) on hand for the celebration.
“It is awesome to have Pat around,” said Meg. “He has a bye week, so he was able to come.”
Hannah Gale (11) and Bailey Stock (20)
Amesbury is one of the best 2-8-4 teams you’ll ever see. They tied highly regarded Triton recently. The Vikings are the only team with a win over Pentucket.
The Sachems have games left with Lynnfield and North Reading. Pentucket defeated both 4-0 the first time around.
The seedings for the Division 3 state tournament come out on November 1st. How far can Pentucket go post-season?
(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)
Lana Mickelson
GK Nuala Arsenault out to block Bailey Stock (20)
Sydney Matthews shoots
Ana Tomkiewicz (4) and Meg Freiermuth (24)
Lizzy Deacon (10) and Madi Kuchar (21)
Alana DeLisle and Madi Kuchar
Alana DeLisle, Sydney Matthews, and Gabrielle Cloutier
Avery Hallinan had a goal and an assist for Amesbury
MK McElaney
(Amesbury MA) “MK (McElaney) gives great corners and they always somehow come to my head,” said Avery Hallinan.
Twice this afternoon in the first half, the Indians turned set plays into goals and defeated Manchester-Essex, 2-0, at Cashman Elementary School.
Avery ended up with an assist and a goal.
“This was the best we’ve looked for a while,” said Amesbury coach Adam Thibodeau afterwards. “We worked together as a team. We defended as a team. It was old-school Amesbury.”
Another tough outing for the Hornets (2-10-1).
Their inability to score goals this season has offset their hustle and strong goaltending (Madi Cook).
Emalia Collins (11) shoots at GK Zena Fitzgerald
The Hornets have been limited to four total goals in this season’s thirteen games. In the last nine games they have scored only once.
ME had several glittering chances today (as my pictures will show) but came up empty.
Senior Emalia Collins had a break-in from the right late in the second half that Amesbury GK Zena Fitzgerald turned away.
A goal there and that 2-0 Amesbury lead would have been cut in half and the momentum would have shifted to the Hornets.
“A 2-0 lead is the scariest lead to have,” said Coach Baker. “We just needed a goal.”
Cali Catarius and Riley Doherty
“Zena has kept us in every game this year,” said Coach Thibodeau. “We have had a string of very talented goalies at Amesbury.”
Amesbury (6-6) had defeated Manchester-Essex, 2-0, over a month ago with two second half goals.
“It took us a while to score last time,” recalled sophomore Cali Catarius. “This time we scored early.”
Seven minutes into the first half, MK McElaney sent a deep free kick toward the ME goal. As the kick came past the far post, Avery Hallinan slid in between two defenders to head the ball.
I thought Avery had headed the ball into the net because of the instant celebrating. Wrong. Avery had indeed headed the ball but back toward the front of the net.
There stood junior Lidya Belanger. Off Lidya’s shinguard went Avery’s header and into the net.
“That first goal was almost mine,” said Avery, “but it’s okay. I’ll take the assist.”
Lidya Belanger scored her first goal
“Lidya was in the right spot,” said Coach Thibodeau. “The best goals are when you don’t have to shoot.”
It was Lidya’s first career goal.
Near the end of the first half, MK McElaney lined up a corner kick.
“We noticed last game with Manchester-Essex that the back post was a little open,” said Coach Thibodeau. “We want to create chaos in front of the net.”
The Cashman field is narrow and reaching the far post for a strong kicker like MK is a regular occurrence.
This time Avery was in the midst of several Hornets defender but elevated to redirect MK’s corner kick into the ME net.
“We’ve gotten killed on set plays this season,” said Coach Baker.
McKenna Hallinan breaks in
In the second half, the Amesbury senior trio of Avery & McKenna Hallinan and MK McElaney put pressure on the Manchester-Essex defense several times.
“We’ve been playing together for probably ten years,” recalled Avery. “We work well together.”
Manchester-Essex GK Madi Cook was left to face Amesbury attackers alone several times but earned a second-half shutout.
Riley Doherty: “Defensively, we held our own.”
Cali Catarius: “I am okay with playing anywhere. (Cali had been a striker.) We played well through the middle. Our passes were better than in previous games. Riley and I are a very good team back there. We’re working on turning and playing the ball up the field.”
Stella Mitchell and Sarah Baker
Coach Baker: “We have a great bunch of girls. It’ll get better. We just didn’t do as well in the final third of the field as we would like. Our passing was an issue and they capitalized on our mistakes.”
Avery Hallinan: “We were a lot more focused today. All of us hustled.”
Cali was part of the Amesbury softball team that lost the one-run heartbreaker to Turners Falls in the state finals in June. “That still is a sensitive subject,” said Cali when I asked her if she had gotten over that loss. “We’ll get them next year.”
Avery Hallinan: “I want to play basketball in college. I like UMass Boston (her sister McKenna is going there for soccer), Endicott, and St. Joe’s.”
(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)
Ema O’Neil and Lidya Belanger
McKenna Hallinan and Amelia Donnellan
Loose ball in the ME end
Avery Hallinan gets a head on the first Amesbury goal
Amesbury GK Zena Fitzgerald sees a shot by Libby Lawler
Kendall Newton (16) in on the right for a shot
Riley Doherty
Ella Arntsen and Lidya Belanger
Kendall Newton and Chloe Molin
Libby Lawler and MK McElaney
Golden chance in front for the Hornets
Amelia Donnellan and Bayleigh Shanahan
Header by Avery Hallinan (11) headed for the net for the second Amesbury goal
Emma Dollas
Save by Manchester-Essex GK Madi Cook
Avery Hallinan (left) and Lidya Belanger (12) celebrate goal
Turners Falls – 2021 Division Three state champions
TF starter Jade Tyler
(Amesbury MA) First it was their bats.
Then it was their gloves.
But eventually it required a strikeout to get Turners Falls the 2021 Division Three state softball title.
Amesbury came out on the short end of a 5-4 score on Thursday afternoon, but they were tough to the finish.
The Indians (16-1) trailed 5-1 with two outs in the seventh inning but put three runs across. Amesbury, in fact, had the tying and winning runs on base when the final out was recorded.
“We didn’t give up,” said AHS coach Jacquie Waters afterwards, “and that makes me proud of them.”
Many from Amesbury turned out for the state finals and Turners Falls had plenty of folks make the two-hour trip from Western Massachusetts.
Coach Waters and captains with trophy
The concern pre-game was the weather, but it never rained.
The Thunder (18-0) came out hitting Amesbury starter Alana Delisle hard.
Alana had pitched in relief to get the win versus St. Mary’s (D3 North title game) and had gone the route against Case (D3 state semi-final).
But TF had six hits and three runs after 1 1/3 innings, so Coach Waters brought on Liv DeLong.
Liv retired eight straight batters to end the Thunder’s momentum.
Liv DeLong had a homer in the first inning
Liv also put a run up for Amesbury in the bottom of the first inning with a shot over the rightfield fence.
This game stayed 3-1 until the seventh inning.
The Turners Falls bats gave them the lead. In innings three through six, their gloves preserved it.
LF Liv Stafford
RF Holly Myers
“Oh, man!” exclaimed Turners coach Gary Mullins afterwards discussing the defense. “I didn’t know you could make those catches…….and we had three of them.”
All three of the Thunder outfielders (LF Liv Stafford, CF Emily Young, RF Holly Myers) had highlight catches.
Interestingly, the spectators were restricted to watching from along the outfield fence and therefore had the best view of the fine plays.
Amesbury’s Izzy Levasseur was victimized twice. In the third, her chance for a two-out, two-run double was thwarted by Liv Stafford’s running grab near the LF fence.
In the sixth, rightfielder Holly Myers robbed Izzy, leading off, of a possible double or triple.
Shortstop Hannah Marchefka had a defensive gem in the fourth inning. She charged an infield blooper and converted it into a double play.
If you had to choose one TF defensive memory, however, it was Emily Young’s home-run robbing catch in the fifth inning. Liv DeLong was the batter. She already had a home run and the strength to hit a ball out in any direction. Liv lofted a long fly to center. CF Emily Young raced back near the fence, caught the ball, and fell into the fence. There was a moment of, “Does she have still have the ball,” but Emily showed her glove and Liv’s long flyball was in it.
CF Emily Young prevents a Liv DeLong home run
The Thunder defense collected outs in those innings where baserunners and runs would have been more likely. Remarkable performance!
Was it fatigue? Late-game pressure? Both teams struggled in the seventh inning.
Liv DeLong, who had thrown 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief, walked the leadoff batter and, with two outs, hit a batter.
Madi Liimatainen had four RBI
That set up TF catcher Madi Liimatainen with the same two-on, two-out situation she faced in the first inning. On that occasion, the eighth-grader tripled. This time it was a double to left, and again two runs scored.
“Coach (Mullins) told us at the start of the seventh that we needed more runs,” said Madi afterwards. “Off the bat, I knew it was going to go pretty far. Might have gone out at home.”
A 3-1 lead seemed safe the way Turners Falls was defending. Now the lead was 5-1. Even safer? Not on this afternoon.
Amesbury had a hit, but also had two outs to start the seventh inning.
Elusive grounder in the seventh inning
Turners needed just one more out……….but the next four Amesbury batters reached and three runs scored. The Indians were suddenly within one, 5-4, with runners on first and second.
But senior starter Jade Tyler saved the day for Turners with a game-ending strikeout.
“My heart was beating back there,” said TF catcher Madi Liimatainen recalling the final at-bat. “I knew Jade would come through in the clutch. She always does. I’m pretty sure the last pitch was a rise ball. After strike three, I couldn’t help but go jump into Jade’s arms.”
Coach Mullins joked afterwards: “The more pressure like this they put on me the quicker I’ll die!”
Catcher Ella Delisle and pitcher Liv DeLong
Olivia Whittier, Holly Myers, Madi Liimatainen, and Taryn Thayer each had two hits for Turners Falls.
Madi had four RBI and Olivia had one RBI.
Starter Jade Tyler yielded six hits and had six strikeouts.
Dominating performance by AHS junior Liv DeLong. Liv had a home run and a double that led to three RBI. She also scored twice. In long relief, the lefty struck out seven while giving up five hits.
Coach Gary Mullins numbers come at you like Tom Brady’s do. Gary has coached for forty-one years. In that time, his teams have won over seven hundred softball games. The Thunder have now won ten state softball titles. Last one was in 2017. They have won the West sectional twenty times including the last seven straight seasons.
You can tell by those numbers that Gary’s program doesn’t restart, it simply reloads. Think of the different teams & players that Tom Brady has made look good! The personnel may change but the ability to win continues.
Coach Gary Mullins visits the pitcher
This game was a unique matchup for me. Why? I lived in Turners Falls from grade one into my freshman year in high school. And now I live in Amesbury.
When I lived in Turners Falls, their sports teams were called, “Indians.” Pressure developed in recent years to change the mascot and that change was made to the “Thunder” in 2017.
Turners Falls graduates five starters including pitcher Jade Tyler. Don’t be surprised if they reload for another big run next year.
Amesbury graduates one starter (Julia Campbell) and has talent throughout their returnees. There are no certainties in life but it’s a safe assumption that the Indians will be contenders in next year’s Division 3 softball.
(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)
3B Juliana Rode pregame
Liv DeLong – 2 hits, 2 runs, 3 RBI
2B Taylor Murphy
RF Lauren Celia – 1 run, 1 hit
Waiting on a pitching change
Ella Delisle watches a high pitch go by
LF Liv Stafford tracks a fly ball
Liv Stafford congratulated by teammates
3B Alana Delisle throws to first base
SS Hannah Marchefka starts a double play in the 4th
CF Emily Young congratulated after catch
2B Cali Catarius throws to first base in 6th inning
RF Holly Myers closes in on a fly ball in the 6th inning
Madi Liimatainen on 2B after two-run double in 7th inning
Megan Smith (white helmet) congratulated after scoring a run
(Amesbury MA) For 4 ½ innings one run looked big, and Case had it.
The next two innings?
“Defensive meltdown,” are the two words that come to mind.
Undefeated Amesbury turned errors into eleven runs during those two innings and won, 11-1, to gain a spot in the Division Three finals on Wednesday.
“It was certainly not our best day,” said Case coach Shannon Silva afterwards.
“We didn’t hit (Case had three) and I knew that one run wouldn’t be enough to win this game,” she added.
But that run looked awfully big for a while.
A Megan Smith single, a wild pitch, a sacrifice bunt, and another wild pitch put the Cardinals on the board in the third inning.
Ella Delisle had three hits for Amesbury
The Indians had runners on in the second, third, and fourth innings but Case starter Hailey Berube (six strikeouts) held them off.
“That run of theirs looked big for a long time,” said AHS coach Jacqui Waters.
The Cardinals had their first error in the fourth inning, but Hailey Berube got a two-on strikeout to keep it from being costly.
In the fifth inning, Amesbury put two hits together (Lauren Celia double & Ella Delisle single) to tie the score.
This game was decided just five batters later.
Case, uncharacteristically, committed an error on each of the next five batters. There were bad throws and grounders unstopped. Six runs crossed for Amesbury.
Looking for the handle
“When I watched them play and read everything about them, this was one thing that didn’t happen to them,” said Coach Waters.
More misplays (two) for the Cardinals in the sixth inning and Amesbury added five more runs. In that productive sixth inning, Izzy Lavasseur, Julia Campbell, and Cali Catarius had RBIs for the Indians.
Sophomore catcher Ella Delisle had a big game for Amesbury. She had three hits, an RBI, and threw a runner out at second base.
“We were down but came back,” said Ella. “It shows how determined we are as a team. The comeback felt good.”
Liv DeLong started for Amesbury and went three innings. Alana Delisle went the next three innings and Liv covered the seventh inning.
“I brought in Alana after Liv had pitched through their lineup,” said Coach Waters, “and that worked in our favor. Defensively, we seem to better when Liv is at first base.”
Hailey Berube
Liv DeLong
Liv is a lefty and Alana is a righty. “When a team sees a lefty and then a righty it kind of messes with them a little bit,” said Liv.
The game ended on what looked like a hit to right, but RF Lauren Celia charged the line drive and threw the runner out at first base.
“We practice that play a lot,” said Lauren.
“Amesbury played a great game,” said Coach Silva. “They played a clean game and they hit the ball consistently. If you put the ball in play, things can happen. We had eight errors.”
Case (10-4) is from the South Coast League.
The team from Swansea was the #8 seed in the South.
Lauren Celia ties the score in the 5th
Case won the Division 3 South in 2019.
Amesbury gets Turners Falls next in the D3 state finals. The game is scheduled for Wednesday with a coin toss deciding whether it will be at Turners Falls or at Amesbury.
Anyone remembering this game will probably start with the heat…..95 degrees and hazy. I found, however, that once the game started, I wasn’t aware of either of those.
Nice catch by Case rightfielder Abby Sirois in fifth inning. Abby caught the ball and then went flying over teammate 2B Alexandria Yost…..but still held on.
Izzy Levasseur had two hits and scored two runs for Amesbury.
Amesbury ended up with eight hits. Case had three hits.
(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)
Liv DeLong pitches
Hailey Berube pitches
Amesbury looks for a handle
Hannah Pelletier tries to steal second
SS Olivia Levasseur makes the tag
Abby Sirois slides in with a double as Cali Catarius takes throw
McClelland Miscellanea 