Austin Prep beats nemesis St. Mary’s
St. Mary’s softball ace Mia Nowicki shut out Austin Prep for 20 innings over two games in the regular season, but the Cougars finally broke through at the perfect moment yesterday in Lynn.
Austin Prep scored twice in the bottom of the sixth and pitcher Logan MacDonald threw seven shutout innings as the secondseeded Cougars beat No. 3 St. Mary’s, 2-0, to advance to the Division 3 North final.
“Mia is a great pitcher and we struggled with her in the regular season, but we had a plan for her today,” Austin Prep coach Frank Sorrenti said. “She’s got a great riseball. We wanted to stay off of that and swing at strikes as much as we could.”
That patience and plate discipline paid off, as the Cougars (212) scored their first two runs of the season in their third matchup with the Spartans (20-3). Austin Prep batters struck out nine times, but also drew four walks.
A bunt single from Caroline Sablone gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead before Rebecca Lowe drew a walk with the bases loaded to make it 2-0.
That was more than enough for MacDonald, who closed the door on a three-hit shutout with a 1-23 seventh. MacDonald struck out just four batters, but St. Mary’s hitters were never able to square her up and hit the ball hard.
In the second game of the doubleheader, a walkoff single by Shamyia Banks gave top-seed Latin Academy (23-2) a 1-0 win over upstart No. 11 Amesbury (17-7).
Dragons pitcher Olivia McGrath struck out nine and scattered four hits over seven innings. Indians pitcher Hayley Catania was just as good, and retired 17 straight from the second inning into the seventh. But a two-out walk by Jessica Rynne paved the way for Banks’ gamewinning single.
Banks, who struck out in her first two at-bats, blooped a single into right field. Rynne, running on contact, scored from first when the ball got past the Amesbury outfielders.
“I knew it was the last inning and I had to do something for my team,” Banks said. “We supported each other. We were really loud in the dugout. I think that all comes together and it helped us win today.”
Latin Academy will play Austin Prep in the sectional final tomorrow (2 p.m.) at Endicott College in Beverly.
In the Div. 1 North quarterfinals, Julia Barry doubled in the game’s only run in the third as No. 2 Woburn (19-3) edged seventh-seeded Lowell, 1-0. . . . Senior Madison Schaefer struck out seven and allowed two hits as No. 3
Newton North (19-3) defeated No.6 Methuen, 4-1.
Emily Piergustavo homered and finished with three RBI, while Emily Hartman belted a two-run homer as No. 2 Milford (22-1) beat No. 3 Hopkinton, 6-3, in a Div. 1 South semifinal.
Kelly Nelson struck out 20 and allowed one hit as No. 2 Norton (24-1) defeated No. 3 Dighton
Rehoboth, 2-0, in a Div. 2 South semifinal.
Boys lacrosse
There’s no question Newton
North relies heavily on brothers Bryce and Hunter Adam. Even in tough circumstances, the duo continues to come through for the Tigers.
They did so again in a Div. 1 South quarterfinal against No. 12
Xaverian, with Bryce scoring six goals and Hunter netting a hat trick to help the host fourth-seeded Tigers pull away in the fourth quarter for a 12-8 win.
Newton North (16-4) advances to face top-seed BC High Sunday in a rematch of last year’s sectional final.
“We need them to score,” said Newton North coach Bussy Adam of his sons. “They’re our scoring threats. But today was a combination of them continuing to be our scoring threats, drawing the defense and then other guys elevating their game.”
Bryce Adam’s four first-half goals kept the Tigers in line with Xaverian (9-11) at halftime tied, 7-7. It stayed deadlocked until younger brother Hunter took over to start the fourth quarter.
Hunter Adam scored 1:23 into the final frame off a feed from Will Thompson before recording another goal to give North a 9-7 lead with 7:13 left.
“We know exactly what he’s capable of,” said Bryce Adam. “He stepped up big and he’s only 15 years old and he’s putting on a show out there against kids three years older than him.”
Curtis Judd extended the lead nine seconds later, before Bryce Adam added two more tallies to put the Hawks away.
For Bryce, not only did he have to deal with top Xaverian defender Conor Sullivan, but feeling under the weather, he vomited at halftime.
Jared Grier and Aidan Tefft scored two goals each for Xaverian, but the Hawks had trouble getting the offense going in the second half. Newton North goalie Spencer Harris played a big part in that by making seven secondhalf saves.
In another Div. 1 South quarterfinal, Danny McEvoy (four goals) and Mike Calcagni (three goals) led the way as No. 2 Needham (18-3) took down No. 7 Marshfield, 14-6.
Girls tennis
Margaret Dailey, Megan Etienne and Alissa Cahoon all won their singles matches as No. 7 Ursuline (16-4) knocked off thirdseeded Old Rochester, 4-1, in a Div. 3 South semifinal.