Kathryn Digiammarino | McClelland Miscellanea

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January 17, 2012 · 4:24 pm

Newburyport Defeats Marblehead With Late Surge 43-25 in Girls Basketball

Beth Castantini (20 points) puts up a lefthanded layup.

Emily Freedland (8 points) defends Aly Leahy (12 points).

(Newburyport) Newburyport defeated non-league Marblehead, 43-25, thanks to dominating (16-3) final quarter on Monday (MLK Day) afternoon at NHS.

This game was as much about who didn’t play as it was about who did. Kathryn DiGiammarino and Sydney Pliner for the Magicians and Molly Rowe for the Clippers did not play. All three girls had injuries.

(To get a sense of the level of loss this was: Kathryn had twenty rebounds and fourteen points in Marblehead’s last game, Sydney generally defends the other team’s best player, and I saw Molly put up twenty-six points and handle the ball versus pressure against a strong Ipswich team.)

Let’s just say both coaches (Greg Dollas & Skip Likins) were looking at Plan B in this matchup.

Beth Castantini layup in traffic

How did Newburyport (8-3) win the game? The Magicians had no answers for Beth Castantini. The Clipper senior saw large and small defenders but never was discouraged from taking shots and putting up twenty points. She dominated the boards and held Marblehead’s inside player (Lindsey Cohen) to a quiet four points.

Minus someone to defend Beth, the Magicians (7-5) were going to have to score a lot of points to win.

But, this is one of those games where the final score would give the wrong impression of how the game went. That’s one of the reasons I script games……so I can sort games out for those who are interested yet couldn’t attend them.

Marblehead, despite its undermanned status, was very much in this one until the final quarter. How? They refused to go away. Down 15-4, after four minutes in the second period, they put together a 12-4 response to trail just, 19-16, three minutes into the third quarter.

The Magician rally featured making eight of ten free throw attempts plus two McKenna Barrett layups.

McKenna Barrett layup

The visitors completed the comeback when a McKenna jump shot tied the score at 22-22 with only a minute to go in the third quarter. Unfortunately, for Marblehead, the rest of the quarter shows a Beth Castantini triple, two missed free throws (Mia Bongiorno), and two Aly Leahy free throws – 27-22 after three periods.

The fourth quarter started harmlessly enough – an Emily Freedland layup and a McKenna free throw surrounded a Beth Castantini converted rebound of her own miss – 29-25 with 6:50 left. No one on hand expected what happened the rest of the way.

Marblehead didn’t score another point while the Clippers totaled fourteen. That’s a long time to go scoreless……and very frustrating to be on the scoreless end. Coach Skip Likins picked up a technical near the end and was seen looking for the names of the officials afterwards.

Aly Leahy (12 points) scored seven in the final run including 3-of-4 from the foul line.

Emily Freedland was Marblehead’s top scorer with eight points.

The effects of an afternoon holiday game? The Clippers missed five shots on their first possession and neither team scored during the first four minutes.

A key in this game was Aly Leahy’s ability to handle Marblehead pressure. Usually she shares that responsibility with Molly Rowe.

Mark Rowe & Molly Rowe

Molly was in uniform and looked ready to play despite an icepack on her knee before the game. Instead, she sat this one out next to her father on the NHS bench.

Newburyport’s next game is home on Friday night against North Reading.

Why is this entry so late? Good question. I had the opportunity to go to the Celtics reunion with Kendrick Perkins (Oklahoma City Thunder) and took it. TNT made a game that started shortly after eight last nearly three hours. Then the ride home……….Route 1 and 128 snowy, icy and untreated! That resulted in an arrival time home (Newburyport) after 12:30AM. That’s the best excuse I could think of for the delay………and I’m sticking with it!

(All the pictures above and below will enlarge if you click on them.)

Beth Castantini fouled

Lindsey Cohen shoots against Lea Tomasz

McKenna Barrett (20) & Mary Pettigrew (33)

Mia Bongiorno collides with Cady Bennett

Lindsey Cohen shoots – Casey Barlow defends.

Emily Freedland shoots free throws at the end of first half.

Caroline Helms

Opportuntistic Marblehead Gets Past Triton in Softball Tourney Opener 7-1

Emmy York brings in the final out as Alexa Gross waits to congratulate her.

Kathryn Digiammarino – two runs, two RBI, two triples

(Byfield) Opportunistic Marblehead bested Triton, 7-1, in the preliminary round of the MIAA softball tournament on Thursday afternoon and will now face top-seed Amesbury (18-2) on Saturday afternoon (4PM) at Amesbury in a First Round match.

The conditions at Triton? It was the familiar (cold and cloudy) and the unfamiliar (gusty winds). Early spring weather continues!

Marblehead (13-10) had only five hits off of Triton starter Marion Dullea but three of those hits were for extra bases. The Magicians stranded only two runners.

Triton (11-10) was all over the base paths with nine hits but stranded ten runners including at least one runner in six of the seven innings.

Marblehead leadoff batter Kathryn Digiammarino blasted two triples, scored two runs, and drove in two runs. The Northeast Conference All-Star shortstop was solid in the field as well.

Cori Simons reaches third and Jenn Delaney second but the Vikings couldn’t score in the first inning.

The Vikings had a major squander in the first inning. They loaded the bases on two hits (Cori Simons & Jenn Delaney), and an error (3B Lucia Chalek), with only one out. However, Marion Dullea’s fly ball to left field turned into a double play when LF Olivia Vener’s strong throw home easily nabbed Cori Simons. Catcher Carly Score had the ball waiting by the time Cori arrived.

The Magicians didn’t get a hit until the top of the third inning but it was a big one. Alexa Gross and Rachel McKay had just reached on Marion Dullea’s only two walks of the game before Marblehead’s first hit (Kathryn Digiammarino’s long triple to right center) brought in both of them. The next hitter (Olivia Vener) bunted and Kathryn was caught in a rundown between third and home. Triton executed the rundown poorly and Kathryn scored Marblehead’s third run. Olivia reached second during the rundown and scored on Lucia Chalek’s double to center.

The Magicians added to that 4-0 lead with another run in the fifth. Rachel McKay singled, was sacrificed to second (Olivia Vener), and came home when right fielder Cori Simons dropped Lucia Chalek’s fly to right.

Julia Lothrop beats the throw home in the sixth inning to score Marblehead’s sixth run.

Another unearned run came in the sixth. Sarah Hastings reached on Brook Jamison’s error (grounder went through her legs). Julia Lothrop ran for Sarah. Julia stole second and was sacrificed to third by Emmy York. Carly Score’s sacrifice fly to center brought Julia home with Marblehead’s 6th run.

Kathryn tripled to center in the seventh and came home when the Triton infield bobbled the relay throw from the outfield.

Triton’s lone run came in the bottom of the seventh. Cori Simons singled and later went to third on a 2-base throwing error by catcher Carly Score. Cori scored on a Jenn Delaney grounder to pitcher Michaela LeBlanc as the pitcher’s throw home was late.

Cori Simons had three hits for Triton.

Rachel McKay scored two runs for Marblehead.

Michaela LeBlanc – Magician freshman was complete game winner.

Freshman pitcher Michaela LeBlanc gave up nine hits but no walks. Triton starter Marion Dullea walked two and both scored in the third inning.

Marblehead coach Jon Gold didn’t have to use his usual starting pitcher (Sarah Hastings) in this one. Look for her to start at Amesbury on Saturday.

The Magicians are seeded #17 in Division 2 North. They have made the tournament five of the last six seasons.

Getting confused at a high school softball game is easy with no scoreboards or rosters. Trying to keep track of players is an adventure even if you have the rosters and know the score. The Marblehead 6th is the classic example. Sarah Hastings reached on an error and so Coach Jonny Gold put in a pinch runner. The runner’s number was #12. I had a copy of Coach Gold’s lineup for the game and #12 (on his card) was Julia Lothrop. Julia would end up stealing a base and scoring a run. However, a program was given out at the game by Triton AD Donna Andersen. I checked it afterwards and see that #12 on it is Kathleen Reilly. Julia Lathrop (different spelling) is listed as #8. And some folks wonder why reports of softball games aren’t accurate???

(I collect my own stats and take my own pictures. Mistakes can happen and I take ownership for my part.)