RallyNorth.net

Peabody sees its season ended in quarterfinals by Methuen

Tuesday, June, 03 By Jean DePlacido
Correspondent

PEABODY | The situation was just what the Peabody High softball team was hoping for.

The end result, however, was not.

Despite loading the bases in the final inning, the Tanners couldn't push the tying run across and fell to visiting Methuen, 5-4, in the Division 1 North quarterfinals at Kiley Field.

Trailing by a run heading into the seventh, the Tanners remained confident. They had their No. 9 hitter leading off, followed by the hot hitters at the top of the lineup. The team's first three players had accounted for all five of their hits to that point.

"We knew it wouldn't be easy because Peabody is a very good club," said Methuen coach Jason Smith. Their 1-2-3-4 hitters are not the four you want to see coming up | especially with just a one-run lead."

Methuen pitcher Sarra Bergeron had a 1-2 count on Peabody's Sam Lerner when she hit her with a pitch, putting the tying run on first with no outs. A changeup to Tawny Palmieri resulted in a called third strike, but Sam Terenzoni (who had already hit a two-run homer in the first and added an RBI single in the third) hit a bloop single to right and Michelle Grifoni was intentionally walked, loading the bases with one down.

Peabody freshman MaryKate Helas grounded to shortstop, allowing Lerner to scoot home with what was believed to be the game-tying run. But home plate umpire Len Myslinski called Tanners' courtesy runner Jen Leavitt out for interference on Methuen shortstop Jessi McCarthy, forcing the runners to return to their respective bases and nullifying the run.

Now, with two outs, Bergeron bore down and struck out the next batter to end the game | and Peabody's season at 17-5.

"The kids never gave up. I'm very proud of them," said Tanner coach Butch Melanaphy. "We felt confident we could pull this one out, and with the top of the order up knew we would give them a fight.

"There's nothing you can do about that interference call | it happens. If (Leavitt) had stopped between second and third, it would have been a double play. (And) give their pitcher a lot of credit; she had a changeup that fooled us even when we were waiting on it. It just froze us."

The Rangers pushed across an unearned run in the top of the sixth, which turned out to be the winning run. Freshman pinch hitter Rebecca Armstrong delivered the big hit; down in the count 0-2, she singled up the middle to score courtesy runner Melissa Lee.

Methuen had struck first on a solo shot over the short fence in right by McCarthy in the top of the first, but Peabody answered with two in the home half of the inning and added a pair in the third on three straight singles by Palmieri, Terenzoni and Grifoni to take a 4-1 lead.

"This loss is so hard because we thought all along we could come back to win," said Terenzoni, who drove in three of Peabody's four runs. "We've done it all year long.

"We thought we had tied it up, but then the run got taken away on the interference play. Methuen is a good team with a very good pitcher. She left the ball high and inside, which is my favorite spot (on the home run)."

That lead quickly disappeared in the top of the fourth when Bergeron led off with a single, went to second on an outfield error, scooted over to third on a wild pitch and scored on McCarthy's infield hit.

Designated hitter Bryanna Georgio ripped an RBI double down the left field line, and Rangers' courtesy runner Stephanie Chaisson scored the tying run when Peabody pitcher Nicole Wilson struck out Paige Fleming, but the ball got by the catcher and the throw to first hit the runner in the head.

Bergeron settled down and retired 11 of the next 13 batters she faced (two reached on errors) before working her way out of the bases-loaded jam in the seventh to end the game. She allowed five hits and four walks (with one HBP) while striking out nine.

Methuen (15-6) will now face Lexington (20-2) in the Division 1 North semifinals tonight at Martin Park in Lowell at 7 p.m.