Determination and a never-give-up attitude has allowed the Peabody Little League softball 10-year-old all-star team to capture the District 16 pennant and move on to the state tournament, which begins Sunday at Kiley Filed in the Tanner City at 6 p.m.
Peabody lost its first game in District 16 play, then ripped off five straight wins — including two straight over previously unbeaten Marblehead to take home the championship.
Following an opening game 14-11 setback to Wyoma, Peabody began its climb back with a 21-3 victory over Swampscott. Lily Sencabaugh and Luccia Palmieri each had three hits for the winners, with Kasey Pagliese, Harper Fidalgo, Isabella DeCost, Ruby Jagodynski, Karlee Kent and Kaley Cabral also hitting safely. Fidalgo and Pagliese took care of business on the mound, allowing zero hits.
A 10-3 triumph over Winthrop followed as Fidalgo and Palmieri combined for 13 strikeouts while allowing just one hit. Peabody stole a whopping 19 bases, with Camilla Mallia, Bianca Gordon, Pagliese, Fidalgo, and Jagodynski all swiping multiple bags.
A rematch with Wyoma produced a 9-5 win for Peabody, with Luccia striking out eight batters in three innings while allowing just one hit. She also had a double offensively, as did Gordon and DeCost. Peabody ran wild again on the basepaths as Emma Feener, DeCost, Gordon, Cabral, and Sencabaugh each had multiple thefts.
Peabody then beat Marblehead, 15-10, to force a one game, winner-take-all showdown. Sencabaugh blasted a solo home run and added a triple while DeCost doubled and Jagodynski, Pagliese, Cabral, Fidalgo and Palmieri each had hits.
A title clinching 15-5 win over Marblehead was propelled by an inside-the-park grand slam off the bat of Aubrey Legace. Additionally, Peabody got two-run singles by Feener and Jagodynski as well as a two-run double down the right field line from Bayleigh Batchelor.
Following Sunday’s state tournament opener at home, Peabody — managed by James Kent, with Joe Fidalgo and Keith Jagodynski the assistant coaches and Matt DeCost helping out at practice — will play in Canton Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) and finish out in Agawam Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13.