NORTH ANDOVER – For the North Andover High girls, the school day was just a little bit sweeter, and it had nothing to do with the pizza, chicken fingers or sloppy joes served in the café.
“I wasn’t worried all day,” said Knights senior softball captain Lily Fabiano. “Last year, if it was raining all day like this, we wouldn’t play. I knew despite the rain today, we would. So it was a great day.”
Thanks to the sparkling, new on-campus, artificial turf softball diamond at North Andover High, “Opening Day” went on, just as planned, and the Knights christened their new home turf with a decisive, 18-6, six-inning win over Essex Tech.
“Coach said it before the game, it’s our first game on this new field, so we’re making history,” said fellow captain Lauren Lynch. “We came in with good energy because it does mean something to us. This is my last year to play, and I really want to make it count, so we came out with energy because we were doing something special here.”
This is no slight to the Knights former home, up the road a ways at McEvoy Playground. But this brilliant new park, that sits adjacent to the new turf baseball diamond on the drive in is pretty sweet.
Never have the softballers felt so loved.
“It’s definitely nice to feel important and thought of. We wouldn’t have been able to play if we were at McEvoy. We are able to work around that,” said Lynch. “Now we have a brand new field at our school. We can have fans stop by and watch (If the weather ever gets warmer!). It’s just nice to feel thought of.”
The new-look Knights played like they felt right at home as well.
Junior Riley Davis, playing a new position at first base, flashed the leather like a seasoned vet there.
Her sixth-inning backhand scoop of a one-hop throw from third base was straight fire.
“It’s a new defensive change for me. I like first a lot,” she said. “It’s a lot easier (to play defense and pick throws in the dirt) on the turf, and I love my infield.”
Tuesday’s sky was gray. But everything else about “Opening Day” in North Andover was perfect.