Both of these teams were absolutely desperate.
In one dugout on Tuesday afternoon, you had an Amesbury baseball team clinging to the final spot in the Division 4 playoff field at No. 32. Then in the other, a Triton squad in the exact same situation as the current No. 32-ranked team in Division 3.
With the regular season over in a few days, it basically was an elimination game.
So who pulled out the much-needed win?
Josh Hersey went 2-for-2 with an RBI, and freshman Kellan Haley pitched six strong innings with seven strikeouts to lead Triton to the huge victory over Amesbury, 6-3. The Vikings (8-10) were in the middle of a rough month of May that caused the slide down the rankings, but perhaps this is a win that will lock them into the field for good.
Leadoff hitter Connor Rumph went 2-for-4, while both Genaro Carrillo (2 RBI) and Beckham Zizza went 2-for-3. The Vikings still have a chance to remove any doubt and automatically qualify via the .500 rule if they win the Bert Spofford Tournament this weekend.
That, however, would probably be the only way that Amesbury (4-14) could pick up enough percentage points to qualify as well. Both Josh Roberts and DJ DiCarlo had two hits for the Redhawks, and Connor Scialdone, Ethan Kirby, Andrew Parsons, Logan Genualdo and Tommy Puorro each had a hit as well.
Triton boys lacrosse kept fighting
A lot has gone wrong this year for the Triton boys lacrosse team.
Between injuries, illness and a large number of underclassmen forced to step into prominent roles, the Vikings hadn’t come out on top in many matchups this spring. In fact, up until Monday’s home game against Hamilton-Wenham, they were still searching for their first win.
With only three games left, you would think time to pack it in, right?
Heck no.
Through all of the adversity, Triton has kept fighting this year. And the result of that hard work was finally some release on Monday, as the Vikings earned their first win by taking down the Generals, 11-9. Both Paxton Laky and Cam McDonald scored five goals in the victory, while Shawn Twomey found the back of the net for the final one.
Coach Wayne Silva made it a point to also credit goalie Patrick Jansen on playing a terrific game.
LeBel throws five-inning no-hitter on Senior Night
It was a fitting way for the Pentucket softball seniors to be honored.
During Tuesday’s 14-0, five-inning victory over Lynnfield on Senior Night, all four Panther upperclassmen made major contributions. In the circle it was Molly LeBel doing her normal dominant routine, tossing a no-hitter with five strikeouts. Then at the plate, Kayla Murphy went 3-for-4 with two RBI, and fellow seniors Jocelyn Bickford (2 RBI) and Mia Bartholomew (2 runs) each went 1-for-2.
Pentucket (17-2) is looking for every win it can get down the stretch here, as it hopes to earn a top-8 seed in the upcoming Division 3 state tournament. Freshman Kam Bonneau blasted her 10th home run of the season as part of a 2-for-2, 4-RBI day, and elsewhere Sarah Freitas, Caitlin McCoy, Michaela Gabardi and Emma Burkinshaw all had hits as well.
Pentucket girls tennis never quit
It would have be easy to just call it a wrap on the season.
Way back at the beginning of April, the Pentucket girls tennis team had some momentum sitting at 2-2 through its first four matches of the year. But after 11 straight setbacks, the Panthers found themselves outside of the Division 3 playoff field heading into Tuesday’s final match of the spring against Triton.
Again, it would have been easy to just pack it up.
But these Pentucket athletes proved that they never quit, and ended the season by taking down the Vikings, 3-2. What more, the match wins all came from seniors, with Katie Hella taking her No. 2 singles bout, and both doubles teams of Sophie Marcus/Sophia Nickerson and Riley Duggan/Paige Nottingham pulling out the victories.
Thibeault terrific, Georgetown blanks Ipswich
Oliver Thibeault wasn’t going to let his Georgetown baseball team lose.
The junior right-hander was locked in during Tuesday’s game against Ipswich, completing the two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts to lead the Royals to the clutch 1-0 win. Thibeault entered the game with a 2-2 record and 2.77 ERA, but held it down for his best performance of the year while working around a two-out single in the top of the seventh.
And Georgetown (9-9) needed every out.
Hits were at a premium, with the Royals only having two themselves. The lone run of the day came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Thibeault walked, stole second and was singled home by Shawn Riley. Elsewhere, Brendan Loewen had the only other hit for the Royals, who will now host the annual Bert Spofford Tournament this weekend.
Clippers sweep singles to down Marblehead
The Newburyport boys tennis team just keeps on winning.
And on Tuesday, the Clippers didn’t have to worry about the doubles matches after sweeping the singles in a 4-1 win over Marblehead. Austin Yim won a three-setter at No. 1 singles (7-5, 3-6, 6-4), while both Ronan Refour (6-4, 7-5) and Alex Lambert (6-3, 7-5) took close matches at Nos. 2 and 3.
Then at doubles, Newburyport (14-1) did get a victory from its top team of Brindley Fisher and Lucas Palen, who lost their first set 2-6 before coming back to take the next two, 6-3, 7-5.
Grant does a bit of everything to lead Georgetown
Once again, Maddie Grant did it all for the Georgetown softball team.
The junior struck out 15 in the circle, then at the plate went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI to lead the Royals to a 10-1 victory over Hamilton-Wenham on Tuesday. The CAL Baker champion Royals (15-2) just continue to stack up wins, and are in line to secure a top-4 seed in the upcoming Division 5 state tournament.
Elsewhere during Tuesday’s triumph, Jenna Johnson had a hit and three RBI for Georgetown, while both Ava Fair and Maddie Halmen had a hit and two RBI. Talya Mariani went 2-for-3 and drove in a run as well, and Cora Robinson continued her hot streak at the plate with two more hits.