NORTH ANDOVER – Easing Lilianne Lee into the fray seemed like a decent plan last spring for North Andover High softball coach Caitlin Flanagan.
Injuries scrapped that idea in 2025.
Instead, Lee, now a sophomore pitcher, has been tossed straight into the fire this spring.
“She’s only a sophomore, and there are a lot of sophomores out there with her, but she’s composed, she’s seasoned,” said Flanagan. “She’s got that, ‘I’m going to do anything I can to help this team win’ mentality. I’d put the ball in her hand any day.”
The Knights, wobbling at 1-4 and still seeking their first Merrimack Valley Conference win of the year, needed a big effort from Lee on Friday against Methuen. And the kid delivered – bigtime.
Lee struck out eight Rangers, without a walk, in a five-hitter, lifting North Andover to the much-needed, 13-4, victory.
“She’s a gamer. She works her butt off in the offseason. She was injured last year, so she came back with a vengeance this year,” said Flanagan. “She knew the ball was going to be in her hand, and she did everything she could in the offseason to make sure she was ready.
“I think she would have shared time with Jess (Voutour) last year pretty evenly. (Lee) threw well last year during tryouts, and she hit the ball well, too. She’s little but she’s mighty.”
Lee understands just where she stands — young pitcher on a young team, playing in a rugged conference.
There were bound to be some bumps. But there’s no other place she’d rather be.
“I like the pressure. I’ve set a goal for myself,” Lee said. “It’s much different than last year, after being out (with the injury), but this feels great.
“We are getting better as a team. I know we’ve had our lows, but we’re climbing higher and higher up that mountain.”
With the breeze blowing out as it was Friday, Lee was presented with another dilemma. North Andover’s new park has tended to be a bit of a hitters’ paradise from the get-go.
But Lee simply persevered.
“I felt like our defense was very strong, and our bats were on fire,” she said. “I’m used to it. It’s high school season. You know they are going to hit. You know you’re not going to strike everyone out. Everyone can hit at this level.”
Offensively, Lauren Lynch led the Knights, going 3 for 3 with four runs scored. Kate Manzi singled and doubled, and Ceili Brown tripled and drove in three. Lily Fabiano launched a solo homer, and freshman Caroline Ekhator had two hits and drove in a pair.
For the Rangers, now 2-4 overall and 2-3 in the MVC, Sam Chalupa homered and singled, while Sarah Fairchild’s two-run double in the fourth tied the game at 3-3, before the Knights’ offense erupted.