Lincoln freshman Cipriano hits first 2 home runs of life
LINCOLN — Lauren Cipriano waited over 14 years to hit her first home run. She only had to wait a little over 30 minutes to hit her second.
The talented Lincoln freshman belted a solo shot in the third inning of Friday afternoon’s Division II opener against Johnston at Sullivan Field. She hit her second solo shot in the fifth inning and then allowed just one run in two innings of relief to help the young Lions secure an 8-2 victory over the Panthers in their first game in over 23 months.
“I flew out in my first at bat and I just made some adjustments in my swing and hit a home run,” Cipriano said. “I put the work in so I’m not surprised, but these are the first two home runs I’ve ever hit. It really felt great.”
“It’s awesome. I knew coming in she was going to be a key to our team both defensively and offensively,” said Lincoln coach Alyssa McCoart, an All-State player in her day at Lincoln. “She swings the bat and I think that’s going to continue. I did expect that. Throughout practice she’s been hitting the cover off the ball, so I knew good things were going to happen when she came up to bat.”
Lincoln (1-0 Division II) is relying on precocious underclassmen like Cipriano to help the program get back on its feet after winning a combined three Division I games in 2018 and 2019. The Lions will finish up the home-and-home win the Panthers on Monday afternoon when they travel to Johnston Memorial Park.
“I stress the basics and each day we’re going to work hard at it,” McCoart said. “We set the bar tonight and it’s just going to get higher and higher from there. We just can’t get complacent.”
“We just need to keep putting in the work because we have a good team this year,” said Cipriano, who plays her club softball for the Smithfield Storm. “I’m excited to see how everything goes.”
Johnston (0-1 Division II) received a pair of runs scored from second baseman Emily Iannuccilli, but Lincoln starting pitcher Jenna Burlingame pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the third inning to earn the victory. Reliever Houstyn McConaghy allowed a run in two innings of relief.
“All three pitchers worked hard today, moved the ball around and as a coach that’s what I like seeing from my pitchers,” McCoart said. “Overall, it was a team effort.”
The Lions, who stranded a runner in scoring position in each of the first two innings, grabbed the lead for good with two outs in the third inning when Cipriano crushed a 2-1 Taina Lopez offering over the center-field fence. Lopez allowed two more base runners in the inning, but she worked out of the jam.
Sophomore Kelsey Smith doubled the lead in the fourth inning when she doubled and came around to score on a Gabriella Feole hit. Cipriano scored what turned out to be the game-winning run when she homered to ignite a four-run fifth inning. Catcher Liz Hien drove in Amanda Conti and Alexia Noel with a two-run double and Hien came around to score later in the inning. Conti and Noel added insurance runs in the sixth inning.
BNS DOMINATES EAST
CRANSTON — Burrillville sophomore Julianna Colbert is making up for lost time. The pandemic robbed the Bronco of her freshman season, but in her first varsity start on Friday afternoon, the righty threw a five-inning no-hitter with 12 strikeouts as Burrillville/North Smithfield co-op secured a 12-0 mercy-rule win over Cranston East in their Division III opener.
The Broncos (1-0 Division III) received a pair of doubles from senior Kaitlyn Gould, while Burrillville’s Kaitlynne MacPherson and Abby Goudreau and North Smithfield senior Tessa LaBarre each produced a double. All nine starters scored at least a run.
Burrillville/North Smithfield plays its first home game at its new field – Hauser Field – on Tuesday.