Lauren Singer tagged out at third by Julia OReilly.
Rachel Shamon pitched nine innings and had three RBI
(Newburyport) A lot of, “Where have you been’s,” were probably heard after the Masco/Newburyport softball game at Cashman Park on Friday afternoon.
Why? Those on hand saw nine innings and thirty hits (fifteen apiece) before Masconomet (4-0) defeated Newburyport, 9-6, and some of those attending may have gotten home a little late for supper.
The Clippers (1-2) tied the score in the sixth on a Lauren Singer RBI single and had promising opportunities in the seventh and eighth to get a walk-off win.
Masco pitcher Rachel Shamon, however, escaped a 2-on situation in the 7th by getting Molly Rowe to ground out. In the 8th, Carley Siemasko led off with a single and reached second on a wild pitch but Rachel got Lea Tomasz to fly to right to end that threat.
Maddie Stanton – three hits and two RBI
The Chieftains won this game with three runs in the ninth. Rachel Shamon drilled a shot to center that brought home two of the runs. Later, Alexandra Mendelsohn would deliver the third run with a single to right.
That was more than enough runs for Rachel to work with in the bottom of the ninth. She gave up a hit to Beth Castantini to lead off the inning but retired the next three batters in order to end the game.
Rachel (junior) ended up with three RBI and five strikeouts.
Masco took a 1-0 lead in the second when Shannon Beaton’s bloop single over the drawn in Clipper infield scored Alexandra Mendelsohn.
Vicki Allman came across in the second for Newburyport on Kendra Dow’s single to right to tie the score.
RBI’s by Molli Marshall and Rachel Shamon put Masco in front 3-1 after 2 ½ innings but the Clippers came right back with three runs of their own to get ahead, 4-3. Lauren Singer drove in the first of the three runs with a single past first and later Maddie Stanton’s single up the middle brought in two more.
The Clippers handed out two gifts in the fourth. After Julia O’Reilly reached on an infield single, Shannon Beaton dropped down a bunt. The Clippers tried to get the runner going to second. The throw was wild and by the time Newburyport recovered, Julia had scored and Shannon was on third. So instead of an out and a runner on, Masco had a run in and a runner on third. A wild pitch enabled Shannon to score Masco’s third run of the inning and sixth run of the game.
Carley Siemasko nailed at third.
In the bottom of the fourth, Newburyport ran into an out. Molly Rowe reached on an infield single. Carley Siemasko hit a long triple scoring Molly but was picked off after putting on the brakes too far beyond third. As luck would have it, two batters later Lauren Singer hit a single that would have scored Carley. The Clippers had to settle for only one run in that inning but they had tied the score at five.
Masco went ahead once more in the fifth as Julia O’Reilly’s sacrifice fly scored Alexandra Mendelsohn.
Newburyport would rally to tie the game in the 6th and have chances to end it in the 7th and 8th. Masco, however, held on and put this one away in the ninth.
Shortstop Taylor Evans had three hits for Masco and made several strong throws in the field.
Freshman Lauren Singer and Senior Maddie Stanton each had three hits for Newburyport. Lauren took a ball on the thigh (she’s the catcher) that was painful.
Beth Castantini pitched the first five for the Clippers and Molly Rowe the last four.
Shortstop Kendra Dow made a complete recovery in the field from the adventure she had against North Reading.
(All of the pictures above and below enlarge considerably if you click on them.)
Taylor Evans reaches second
Alexandra Mendelsohn slides home
Kendra Dow tries to get runner going to third
Carley Siemasko – triple, single, two walks, and two runs scored
Masco mound conference
McClelland Miscellanea 
