Abington bats awaken

SCHOOLS

In its first true test of the young softball season, Abington was locked in a tight affair with Silver Lake through the middle innings.

But going through the batting order for a fourth time, Abington’s juggernaut offense made the necessary adjustments to deliver a knockout blow.

The Green Wave erupted late, using a five-run sixth inning and belting out 18 hits to topple the Lakers, 12-4, in nonleague action in Kingston.

Leadoff hitter Lauren Keleher went 5-for-5, while No. 2 batter Caitlin Murphy went 3-for-5 with five RBI to spearhead the attack.

“We just got more confident at the plate,” said Keleher of the late-inning outburst. “We were more relaxed. Beginning of the game we were a little antsy. We worked the count and worked the pitcher and we produced.”

An RBI ground-rule double in the bottom of the fifth by Amanda Harris leveled the score, 4-4, for Silver Lake (2-2) before Abington (5-0) displayed its quick-strike capabilities and put up double-digit runs for the fifth time in as many games.

After three straight singles loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, Murphy laced a two-run single to center before Jenna McDonough, Corin Mahan and Jordyn Needle all drove in runs to give Abington a 9-4 lead.

The floodgates stayed open in the seventh. After a double by Keleher, Murphy collected two more RBI and Mahan plated another run.

“We’re better hitters when we see the faster pitching,” said Abington first-year coach Kelsea Cheney. “We didn’t really struggle with it. A little bit in the beginning, but then we made our adjustments.”

Silver Lake led, 3-2, in the third behind a two-run double from Izzy Ruprecht and an RBI single from Hannah Mitchell, but there was no keeping Abington’s offense down, which had six players with at least two hits.

In Northeastern Conference softball, Ciara Collins and Johnna Calder drove in a combined seven runs as Lynn Classical (4-0) topped Beverly, 17-3 . . . . Kelsey Harris swatted three hits and had three RBI, including the eventual game-winner, as Medford (4-1) escaped Malden, 7-6.

Natalie Swift struck out nine to guide Arlington (50) to a 4-2 win over Reading in a Middlesex Liberty contest.

In the South Coast Conference, Mia Iodice tossed a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts while catcher Allison Ainley went 4-for-4 with a solo homer to pace Dighton-Rehoboth (5-0) in its 5-0 win against Case . . .. Abigail Cadorette allowed only four hits and struck out 17, while going 4-for-5 with two doubles to lead Somerset Berkley (2-2) to an 18-5 win over Bourne.

In a nonleague game, Plymouth South (3-0) freshman Amelia Freitas struck out eight batters and went 3-for-3 at the plate in a 15-2 rout against Notre DameHingham.

Baseball

David Guillama plated three runs while Zach Furlong belted a homer to help push Revere (4-2) past Everett, 11-3, in the Northeastern Conference.

In the Cape Ann League, Fernando Gonzales tossed nine innings of one-hit ball and fanned 13 as Lynnfield pulled out a 3-1 win over Masconomet . . . . Adam Parady went 4-for-6 at the plate and drove in four runs as Hamilton-Wenham (4-1) prevailed by a 16-0 margin over Rockport.

Dighton-Rehoboth (3-2) scored four times in the fifth to erase a 4-0 deficit, and Jacob Rogers hit a walkoff RBI single to beat Case, 5-4, in a South Coast Conference clash . . . . Junior lefty Ben Smith fired a complete game to lift Bourne (3-2) to a 5-2 win over Somerset-Berkley.

In a nonleague matchup, Xaverian (3-3) plated four in the bottom of the seventh to mount a come-frombehind victory against Norwood, 11-10.