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Duval, Giordano lead Andover past Central

Thursday, May, 13 By Jeff Hamrick

ANDOVER – A week after taking the state’s top-ranked softball team to extra innings in the season opener, unranked Andover claimed the kind of victory that proves the Golden Warriors belong in the conversation.

Molly Duval quickly provided the all the runs needed Thursday afternoon and freshman Jackie Giordano hurled her third gem of the young season as Andover downed 15th-ranked Central Catholic 2-0.

“We went toe to toe with the No. 1 team in the state (losing to Lowell 1-0 in eight innings),” Andover coach Rick Quattrocchi said. “But this is a signature win. We just played the (No. 15) team in the state, and we beat them 2-0.”

The Warriors (2-1) did their only damage early against Central’s Hayley Rapaglia, who gave up a one-out walk before cleanup hitter Duval arrived at the plate with two out.

“I played club with (Rapaglia), so I know her very well,” Duval said. “But this is the first real game I’ve faced her. I just went up, and said I want to hit it hard somewhere.”

Duval drove a 1-1 pitch hard enough to right for an opposite-field homer.

“We are dedicating the season to her (Duval’s) sister,” Quattrocchi said. “She was just 11-years-old, and she just died last month of leukemia. That’s why we’re wearing the orange shoelaces. I went to Molly after the home run and said that was for Sara.”

With the lead, Andover turned matters over to Giordano’s right arm, and the freshman once again delivered.

While Central (2-1) had base runners in all seven innings, the Raiders could put only three into scoring position. Giordano gave up four singles and finished with 10 strikeouts while walking two.

“I threw a lot of drop curves and rise balls,” Giordano said. “That helped a lot to get ground balls in the infield. The pressure builds (during the game), but I think I pitch well under pressure. It makes the game more intense and fun for me.”

Giordano struck out three in the third and two in both the second and sixth before stranding a runner on third with no outs to end the game.

“She has a lot of moxie, that kid,” Quattrocchi said of his ace. “She’s a battler. She’s a freshman, but she acts like a junior. She’s a very quiet kid who doesn’t say ‘boo’ ”

Giordano has earned all three Andover decisions, giving up three runs on 10 hits with 30 strikeouts.

“I think I expected this from myself,” Giordano said. “I pitched pretty much the same in club, so I didn’t expect anything less than this. But it helps a lot having a real good defense behind you.”

Giordano’s junior counterpart on the Central mound also was outstanding as Rapaglia retired 16 of the 17 batters, including the first 15 she faced following Duval’s homer. Rapaglia gave up two hits, struck out six and walked one. Catcher Katie Fox had two of the Raiders four hits.

“We’re really disappointed mostly in the fact we put a lot of runners on base and were never able to do anything with them,” Central coach Stacy Ciccolo said. “We made some mental mistakes and physical mistakes batting. We needed to make adjustments and I feel like we did not do that.”