THE LHS softball team defended their home field with wins over Hamilton-Wenham on April 27 and Boston Latin on May 1 to bring their overall record to 6-5 on the season. The Pioneers need four more wins to automatically qualify for the state tournament. They travel to Malden Catholic on Wednesday and Rockport on Friday. (Courtesy Photo)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
LYNNFIELD — In a non-league game on Monday afternoon, the Lynnfield High softball team edged Boston Latin Academy, 5-2, on a mild, partly sunny day. With the victory, the Pioneers improved to 6-5 overall.
“We played really good defense and we got timely hitting,” said Lynnfield first-year head coach Hector Longo.
Lauren Amico was the winning pitcher improving to 2-0 in the circle. She went five innings allowing one earned run, three hits, one walk and she struck out two.
Sophia Brown picked up her first save of the spring pitching the final two innings as she gave up no runs, one hit, one walk and she fanned two Dragon batters.
Lynnfield’s offense had six hits as Libby Considine was the team’s lone multiple hitter going 2 for 3..
Abi Travers had the big hit of the day with a two-run homer to left-center with two outs to increase the lead to three.
Ava Marotta had an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning while Lily Williams added an RBI single in the bottom of the second.
On April 27, the Pioneers shut out guest Hamilton-Wenham, 16-0, in a five-inning mercy-rule game. With that win, Lynnfield improved to 2-5 in the Cape Ann League.
“They have a very young team,” pointed out Longo. “They had five 8th-graders in their line up.”
The over-matched Generals fell to 1-7 with the loss.
Lynnfield scored three runs in the first, four in the second, seven in the third and twice more in the bottom of the fourth.
Overall, they had 15 hits. Morgan Hubbard led the way going a perfect 3 for 3 at the dish with one RBI. Ava Gamache and Travers were both 3 for 4. Travers knocked in three while Gamache had one RBI.
The RBI leader was Marotta who had a season-high five as she finished 2 for 4.
Brown was the winning pitcher going three innings and allowing no hits as she improved to 4-5. Amico pitched the final two innings giving up only one hit.
“We needed that kind of win after what happened the day before,” said Longo.
That day before, on April 26, the Pioneers were on the wrong side of a shutout as they lost, 13-0, at North Reading.
“I knew that they were solid but they were better than I expected,” admitted Longo, as this game also lasted five innings.
Lynnfield’s offense had just four hits that were all singles as Hubbard, Gamache, Marotta and Celia Carbone had the four hits.
On May 3, the team will go to Linden Park in Malden to take on Malden Catholic in a non-league game.
That game will start at 4 p.m.
Lynnfield returns to CAL action on May 5 as they travel to Rockport at 4 p.m.
On May 8, they visit Boston Latin Academy with that game starting at 3:30 p.m.