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June 9, 2019 · 7:58 pm

Freshman Alana Delisle leads Amesbury past Lowell Catholic 4-2 in D3 North tourney

Alana Delisle’s pitching and defense keyed Amesbury’s First Round win.

Emily Bartlett scores in the first inning

(Amesbury MA) Closer than you might have thought.

#18 Lowell Catholic scored early and pressured late in the game, but #2 Amesbury had enough to notch a, 4-2, win on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Amesbury (18-3) now faces Boston Latin on Tuesday in the Division Three North quarterfinals.

The Indians freshman pitcher Alana Delisle was the difference maker for the home team.

Alana struck out eight Crusaders including the last two batters in the 7^th inning with two LC runners in scoring position.

She also, somehow, caught a do-or-get-hurt line drive the third inning.

Later, in the sixth inning Emily Bartlett doubled and teammate Brenna Riley singled her home with two out. However, Alana cut off the throw home after Brenna’s single and threw to first to catch Brenna away from the bag for the final out of the inning and limit the LC runs to one.

Avery Hallinan tracks a popup

“Alana was fantastic,” said AHS coach Jacqui Waters afterwards. “We went back-and-forth as to who should pitch today and I’m glad we went with her.”

Lowell Catholic (12-10) put two hits together (triple Emily Bartlett & single Amanda Bursey) to jump out 1-0 in the first.

But then Alana settled down to retire fifteen of the next sixteen batters she faced.

“I threw some curves and some changeups,” said Alana. Her changeup was a real problem for several of the Crusader hitters.

LC pitcher Emily Bartlett (6 K’s) escaped a bases-loaded situation in the 2^nd and two runners on in the 3^rd inning.

“One or two miscues caused the outcome of this game,” said LC coach Frank Nugent after the game.

One of those miscues was in the fourth inning and allowed Amesbury to tie the score. Julia Campbell (three hits) hit a ball that right fielder Jillian O’Hearn nearly caught. However, it bounced off her glove and went a distance away into foul territory. While Jillian was getting the ball back into the infield AHS assistant coach Jim Hounam waved Julia on to third. The throw from 2B Brenna Riley went past third and out-of-bounds allowing Julia to tie the score.

Near catch by Jillian O’Hearn in right field

Julia Campbell into third as the ball goes by

Umpire signals that Julia Campbell has been awarded home

It was 1-1 into the bottom of the 5^th.

Meg McElaney after her hit drove in an Amesbury run

Amesbury picked up a decisive three runs in that inning. A misplayed bunt and a wild pitch allowed tainted runs to score and moved AHS ahead, 3-1. Megan McElaney followed with an RBI single that provided a crucial third run in that inning and gave the Indians a 4-1 lead.

In the sixth the Crusaders tallied a run but ended a promising inning with an out on the base paths.

The seventh was even more promising for the visitors. “We rallied in the seventh and had a chance but couldn’t get it done,” said Coach Nugent.

LC’s Megan Murphy led off with a single. Meg McElaney (LF) followed with a nice running catch of a long fly by Antonia Mukiibi that could have been run-producing. Karlee Calavritinos then reached on SS Emma DiPietro’s throwing error.

Two on, one out, with a two-run deficit. Re-enter pitcher Alana Delisle to K the final two batters and preserve a 4-2 win.

“They made a couple of miscues and that’s how we won,” said Coach Waters. “They are a very good team and they made it tough for us.”

LC coach Frank Nugent

“Amesbury should be happy with their team,” said Coach Nugent. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes. Their pitcher threw strikes. They have a very good program.”

Meg McElaney: “My friend Julia (Campbell) and I have been doing a lot of tee work because I have been in a batting slump. My first two at-bats didn’t go that well, but I was really focused. I told Coach Jim (Hounam) I was going to get a hit and I did.”

Amesbury reached the D3 North finals last season. A rebuilding season looked to be realistic for this season, but a host of newcomers have stepped right in to continue the Indians winning ways. Five freshmen (Avery Hallinan, Alana Delisle, Olivia Levasseur, Liv DeLong, and Ella Bezanson) were in the AHS starting lineup today.

Senior Amanda Bursey paced LC with a run scored, two hits, and an RBI.

Beautiful weather.

Lowell Catholic box

Amesbury box

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

(3B) Antonia Mukiibi throws to first

Bat on the ball

Brenna Riley tagged out at first by Liv DeLong after a throw from Alana Delisle

Caroline Bond (6) runs the ball back into the infield

Indians celebrate a run

Emily Bartlett sets to throw to first

Emma DiPietro bunts

Grace Maston, Brenna Riley, and Carley Feingold pregame

Olivia Levasseur scores on a wild pitch

Pregame gathering

Karlee Calavritinos steals second.

Liv DeLong scores the second Amesbury run

Liv DeLong steals second as SS Grace Maston reaches to apply a tag

Amesbury bats drop Lynnfield 13-1 in D3 North quarterfinals

Emma Catania had a 3-run homer in the first inning

Freshman Maddie DiPietro crosses home in the sixth inning with the game-ending run

(Amesbury MA) Amesbury coach Jacqui Water told me after today’s game that her team had done a lot of extra hitting lately.

That information might help explain the hitting barrage the Indians unleashed on Lynnfield during a 13-1 mercy-ending D3 North quarterfinals game on sunny Tuesday afternoon.

The game ended in the Amesbury 6^th when the Indians took a twelve-run lead.

Today’s tournament contest got away from the Pioneers early. Amesbury had ten runs on ten hits after just two innings.

Unfortunately, for Lynnfield, their hitting was held in check by senior Hayley Catania. Hayley allowed only four hits and struck out nine batters. During one section of the game she retired eight in a row.

The Indians season continues as they advance to the D3 north semis on Thursday (3:30PM) at Martin Field in Lowell against St. Mary’s.

On May 2^nd the Pioneers had rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Amesbury, 7-6, at Lynnfield.

Hayley Catania pitched a 4-hitter with nine strikeouts

Coach Waters remembered it: “I wasn’t comfortable with our lead today because of it.”

LHS coach Paul Marinelli said that his defense was partly responsible for today’s bad start: “We gave away too many things in the beginning. We got in a hole as a result and couldn’t get out.”

The Pioneers best scoring chance was in the sixth when they loaded the bases with two outs. Hayley Catania, however, struck out Jillian Babine to end that threat.

Stranded baserunners were rare for Amesbury. They stranded just three in six innings.

The Indians had homers in each of the first three innings. Sophomore Emma Catania hit her HR into the gap in left center in the first. Freshman Julia Campbell hit an opposite field liner that lasered past RF Gabby Langone in the second. Senior Hayley Catania also hit into the left-center gap and the ball rolled nearly to the stadium wall in the third inning.

Hayley would also round the bases in the second inning when her hard-hit single to left went through LF Allie Wing. The Pioneers were quick to retrieve the ball and Hayley had to slide into home to score.

Freshman Chloe Shapleigh homered in the 3rd inning

A while ago the Indians celebrated Seniors Day at their last home game. I assumed that Amesbury (14-8) wouldn’t have any tournament home games. So I asked senior Hayley Catania about her favorite memories of Perry Field after the Senior’s game.

Not so fast! The #11 Amesbury won their tourney opener over Shawsheen on the road and #14 Lynnfield did the same with O’Bryant. That brought the quarterfinals game back to Amesbury today. Today I was certain that Hayley won’t be playing on Perry Field again when we talked after the game. “It was a nice last game here today – to hit well and pitch well,” said Hayley afterwards.

LHS freshman Chloe Shapleigh had one of those good and not-so-good games. The good? Chloe was the Pioneers’ leadoff batter and went three-for-three including a long homer to right. Chloe’s teammates had only one hit among them.

The not-so-good? The LHS shortstop had four errors by my count. One was on a bobbled grounder but the other three were on throws, two of them to first base. The other throw was an attempted flip toss to third in the sixth inning that went over 3B Jillian Babine’s head and allowed Maddy DiPietro to score the game-ending run. I strongly suspect that Chloe’s defense will improve and will combine with her good hitting to impress Cape Ann League teams over the next three seasons.

Julia Campbell celebrates her home run in the second inning

One of Amesbury’s best shortstops (Maddie Napoli) was home from college and in the house today.

Emma Catania drove in four runs for Amesbury.

Meg McElaney and Hayley Catania each collected three hits for the Indians. Hayley also scored three runs.

Coach Waters had good words for seniors Hannaih Burdick and Hayley Catania: “Sometimes you lose the seniors after they graduate, and the season is still going on. These two have kept the team going.”

Senior Hayley O’Brien

Hayley Catania: “My drop curve was working well today. When they loaded the bases (6^th inning) I had to focus a little more.”

Coach Marinelli: “We graduate one senior (pitcher Hayley O’Brien) so we should be good next year. Amesbury has always been a good team and I would rather play them than some of the Boston teams in the tournament.”

Hayley O’Brien will be attending Fitchburg State next year and expects to play softball there.

A little windy at times today but the temperature made for a pleasant afternoon.

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