RallyNorth.net

Ipswich softball edged in Division 3 North semis

Thursday, June, 05 By Mike Grenier
Sports editor

LOWELL | When you go deeper into the state tournament and the margin of error shrinks, it's the little things that count.

The St. Mary's of Lynn softball team was more effective than Ipswich High in executing the little things yesterday and the result was a 1-0 Spartans win in the Division 3 North semifinals at Martin Field.

It was a bittersweet ending for No. 3 seed Ipswich, which had its winningest season ever (19-4) but carried high hopes of reaching the North final and even going beyond it.

The difference in the game came early. Senior Katelynn Fanning, the complete-game winner on the mound for St. Mary's, tripled in the bottom of the first and then sophomore second baseman Kristina Burri delivered a one-out sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.

"You get two good teams like this | who would've thought it would be the only run of the game?" said St. Mary's coach Colleen Newbury, the former Bishop Fenwick great (when her name was Colleen Parker) who won four consecutive state championships in the 1990s as a shortstop for the Crusaders.

The St. Mary's lead held up because Ipswich had two runners thrown out at the plate.

Tigers second baseman Krista MacKenzie, who creates havoc on the bases with her speed and daring approach, led off the first with a walk and moved up on a passed ball. She tried to score on a wild pitch but, in a bang-bang play, was called out at home.

Ipswich coach Doug Woodworth came out to argue. To no avail, of course.

"I thought Krista beat the throw," said Woodworth. "I came out and said my piece (to the umpire) and that was it. We moved on."

The Tigers had another golden opportunity in the top of the second when freshman catcher Liz Glavin, who came on strong at the end of the season, roped a leadoff triple. However, she was an easy out at home on Emily Bouvier's grounder to shortstop Kristen Mondella, who fired to catcher Erin McAndrews for the tag. It was the fifth Ipswich runner to be thrown out or forced at home in the team's last two tournament games.

"It's just a couple of mistakes," said Ipswich pitcher Kerry Desmond, who was superb once again, yielding just three hits and striking out seven. "You tip your hat to the other team. This was a helluva game."

Fanning, who pitched better in the late innings, had to rebuff another Ipswich threat in the fourth. Desmond stirred things up with a leadoff single. Glavin struck out, but Bouvier followed with a single to left, putting runners on first and second. However, Fanning (five-hitter with seven strikeouts) came back to retire Jackie Hulbert and Courtney Rosales on popups.

"St. Mary's is an excellent team | we knew that from the beginning," said Ipswich senior shortstop Emma Docking, who wrapped up a stellar career with a rare hitless day. "But we're an excellent team, too. They scored early and we couldn't come back this time. I congratulate them, but it was great to be part of this team. We had the best record in (the program's) history and it was incredibly rewarding."

Desmond, who posted an 18-4 record and will be back for more next season, had an eventful day. As she was about to warm up in the bottom of the third, she was accidentally conked on the head on an errant throw by Docking. Desmond was taken into the dugout and checked out for a few minutes while her backup, Tiffany DeFrancesco, tossed some pitches from the mound. But Desmond emerged from the dugout, looking fine even if she wasn't quite 100 percent.

"I wasn't about to come out (of the game)," said Desmond. "I didn't want to let my team down.

It hurt, but what hurts even more is not advancing (any further) in the tournament."