RallyNorth.net

Methuen holds on and advances

Tuesday, June, 07 By Jeff Hamrick

METHUEN – For anyone left playing at this stage of the season, there’s only one objective.

“It’s survive and advance,” Methuen softball coach Jason Smith said of playing in the Round of 16. “That’s the name of the game.”

Smith’s Rangers did just that Tuesday night, fending off an Attleboro squad that scored three runs in the top of the seventh and stranding the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position for a 5-4 victory at Burnham Field. All five runs were scored with two outs.

No. 11-seeded Methuen (17-5) was in command after Avry Nelson tripled home a run before scoring on an error to take a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth.

Attleboro, however, led off the seventh with a pair of bloop hits just out of reach of infielders. A one-out single brought in the first run before two more scored via a wild pitch and an error.

But sophomore starter Ilene Rickard struck out cleanup batter Lauren Eby on five pitches to end the threat and send the 10th-seeded Bombardiers home.

“We just had to keep our composure,” Smith said. “They had a couple hits where they couldn’t have thrown it any better (to fall in). Ilene did a good job of keeping her composure and her mechanics. We hung tough.”

Methuen scored one in the first when Makenna Donovan’s two-out single drove in Kiele Coleman, who had doubled. Donovan did more two-out damage in the third with another single that plated Tardugno and Coleman for a 3-0 lead.

“She’s a tough out,” Smith said of Donovan, who also made a running second-inning catch in center. “She’s capable of going the other way and she’s capable of turning on one and pulling it, and she did a nice job. One of those hits was with two strikes. She’s a senior captain and you expect if from your leadership. Today was her day.”

The Bombardiers scored their first run in the fourth after a leadoff triple from Lindsey Perry.

Methuen showed off a stellar defense throughout. In addition to Donovan’s over-the-shoulder grab, shortstop Tardugno had a long throw from the hole to nail a batter in the second before making a diving play up the middle to snare a liner. Nelson also threw out a potential base stealer for the third out in the fifth.

“It’s gotten better toward the end of the season,” Smith said of his team’s fielding. “Brooke and (second baseman) Kiele have really solidified the middle and have done a nice job of getting to balls that sometimes in the past we haven’t gotten to. Ilene throws a few more fly balls  … so I knew our outfielders had to be on alert tonight, and (centerfielder) Makenna came up with a big catch early.”

Sophomores continued to shine for Methuen, which starts four of them, including Coleman, Nelson and Thyanais Santiago, who rapped a two-out single before showing her speed scoring from first on Nelson’s sixth-inning triple. Earlier, Santiago was robbed of extra bases when her leadoff blast to left-center in the seventh was hauled in with a great running catch.

“They have grown up in a hurry,” Smith said of his youngsters. “They played a lot of games last year in our shortened season as freshman. They got some much-needed experience, and it has certainly carried over to this year. ”

Methuen will play the winner of today’s game between second-seeded King Philip (21-2) and No. 15 Saint Paul Diocesan (15-4) on Friday.